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The Gunners' boss has expressed confidence that his squad can continue to cope with fitness issues after disclosing that star striker Kai Havertz is not ready for a few more weeks.

Extended Absence for German Star

Havertz has been out for months due to knee surgery. Originally slated to come back sooner, the manager stated the player faced a hurdle when stepping up his recovery and could not progress “the next phase.”

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

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This update creates a dilemma for the midweek match against Brentford. A decision is required between sticking with Mikel Merino, who got a goal playing out of position on Sunday, or reinstating Viktor Gyökeres, who came back from a muscle injury as a substitute. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is also an option following a lengthy absence.

Fitness Doubts Remain

Additional concerns affect centre-back William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who were absent for the Stamford Bridge game. Consequently, new recruits Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will probably continue in the backline for the league leaders.

Arteta feels the substantial investment on squad depth during the summer has left Arsenal in a far better place to handle such setbacks.

Squad Depth Key to Title Challenge

Questioned if increased squad depth was helping their championship push, his response was positive. “Indeed, since the current term has presented greater challenges in some areas, and now the problems with the backline,” he noted.

“History has shown us that we must deploy players in different positions, and they must be capable to perform various functions if we want to compete at the highest level. And the instance of Mikel is probably the prime illustration.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Suffering Star

Speaking about the delay highlighted by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, the manager gave additional context. “He was doing everything. He could not go to the required step and now it’s looking like we have unlocked that.”

Arteta expressed his eagerness to welcome him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. Truly, it’s a player that, in my view, I admire greatly for what he brings to the team, but his character, his nature. I see him suffer being outside.”

“His availability record is phenomenal, he's usually fit, and I look forward to get him back with the squad playing because I think it’s going to be a huge lift.”