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Mikel Arteta has expressed confidence that his squad can continue to cope with injury setbacks after confirming that star striker Kai Havertz is not ready for several more weeks.

Extended Absence for Havertz

The Germany international has been absent since August following knee surgery. Originally slated to come back at the start of this month, Arteta explained the player hit a snag when increasing his rehabilitation and failed to reach “to the next level.”

“Our experience helped us build a team that is much more reliable and has increased versatility,” Arteta said.

Tactical Decisions for Midweek Fixture

This update leaves a dilemma for Wednesday’s match against Brentford. A decision is required between persisting with Mikel Merino, who got a goal in an unfamiliar forward role last weekend, or bringing back Viktor Gyökeres, who came back from a muscle injury as a substitute. Long-term absentee Gabriel Jesus is in contention post-recovery.

Fitness Doubts Persist

Additional concerns surround defender William Saliba and attacker Leandro Trossard, who sat out the weekend encounter. Therefore, new recruits Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are expected to start again in central defence for the Premier League front-runners.

Arteta feels the £250m spend on reinforcements in the last transfer window has resulted in a much stronger position to handle such absences.

Squad Depth Vital for Title Challenge

In response if a larger pool of players was benefiting their title quest, Arteta was emphatic. “Absolutely, as this campaign has been worse in some areas, and now the situation with the defence,” he added.

“We learned from the past that we need to utilize players in different positions, and they have to be able to fulfil different roles if we are to fight at this level. And the example of Mikel Merino.”

Arteta's Support for Suffering Havertz

Speaking about the delay noted by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta offered more insight. “He followed all protocols. He was unable to progress to the required step and now it appears like we have solved that issue.”

He shared his keenness to welcome him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. I mean, Havertz is someone that, personally, I love so much for his contributions to the team, but his character, his attitude. I watch him struggle while sidelined.”

“His availability record is phenomenal, he's rarely been injured, and I can’t wait to see him return involved and playing because I think it’s going to be a massive boost.”