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Arsenal's manager feels assured that his team can continue to cope with fitness issues following disclosing that forward Kai Havertz is not ready for the coming weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for Havertz

The German forward has been absent since the summer due to knee surgery. Originally slated to return sooner, the manager stated the player faced a hurdle when stepping up his training and was unable to move forward “the next phase.”

“We learned, and we were able to put together a squad that is considerably steadier and has increased versatility,” Arteta said.

Tactical Decisions for Midweek Fixture

This news leaves a dilemma for Wednesday’s home game against Brentford. A decision is required between sticking with Mikel Merino, who got a goal playing out of position last weekend, or bringing back Viktor Gyökeres, who featured briefly from a muscle injury off the bench. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is also in contention following a lengthy absence.

Fitness Doubts Linger

Additional concerns surround defender William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who sat out the weekend encounter. As a result, recent arrivals Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will probably start again in the heart of the defence for the Premier League front-runners.

The manager is convinced the substantial investment on reinforcements in the last transfer window has left Arsenal in a far better place to handle such unavailability.

Greater Options Vital for Premier League Pursuit

In response if more options was helping their league challenge, his response was positive. “Absolutely, as this campaign has seen more issues in the attacking line, and now the situation with the defence,” he noted.

“We learned from the past that we must deploy players in various roles, and they must be capable to fulfil different roles if we want to compete at this level. And the instance of Mikel is just the best one.”

Arteta's Support for Frustrated Star

Addressing the complication previously mentioned by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, the manager gave further detail. “He followed all protocols. He was unable to progress to the subsequent stage and now it’s looking like we have overcome that hurdle.”

He shared his personal desire to have him back. “Everyone is eager to have him. Truly, he is a footballer who, in my view, I admire greatly for his contributions to the team, but his mentality, his personality. I observe his frustration on the sidelines.”

“His playing record is phenomenal, he's usually fit, and I am eagerly awaiting to get him back around the team and playing because I believe it’s going to be a huge lift.”