Arsenal say forward Kai Havertz will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a hamstring injury during the team’s Dubai training camp.
The Premier League club say the 25-year-old will require surgery and is expected to continue his rehabilitation into pre-season for the 2025-26 campaign.
Havertz’s absence will leave the north Londoners without a recognised striker for the remainder of this season.
The Athletic first reported a torn hamstring and that his season was likely to be over, external.
Arsenal said, external: “We can confirm that Kai Havertz has sustained a hamstring injury during a training session in Dubai last week.
“Subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that the injury will require surgery, which will take place in the coming days.
“Soon after surgery, Kai will begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, which is expected to extend into pre-season preparations for next season.
“Everyone at the club is fully focused on supporting Kai to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
Manager Mikel Arteta is likely to be asked about Havertz’s injury lay-off at Friday’s news conference before his side take on Leicester City on Saturday.
Striker Gabriel Jesus has also had surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, while star forward Bukayo Saka has had surgery on a hamstring injury sustained in December.
Gabriel Martinelli injured his hamstring last week in the Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle and is reportedly out for “more than one month”.
Havertz has made 34 appearances this season and is the club’s top scorer with 15 goals and five assists.
The addition of Havertz to that injury list will leave Arteta seriously short of goal scorers after the club were unable to sign attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window. The Spanish boss said he was “disappointed” with the lack of activity with an offer for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins rejected.
Rumours linking them to Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Wolves’ Matheus Cunha, Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson went nowhere.
Criticism had already been levelled at Arsenal even before these injury problems with many pundits and fans suggesting they needed a striker to maintain hopes of competing for a trophy.
Arteta said last week that Havertz might have to start every game for the rest of the season, adding that his other options to play in the position would be wingers Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal flew out for warm-weather training last Thursday after being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Newcastle in the semi-final. They were not involved in this weekend’s FA Cup fixtures following their third-round defeat by Manchester United.
Last season, after a similar break, Arsenal went on to win 16 of their next 18 games.
They are second in the Premier League, seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
