Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has offered a glimmer of hope that Kai Havertz could make a surprise return before the end of the season, as the German midfielder steps up his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Havertz, who was initially expected to miss the remainder of the campaign, released a video on Thursday showing himself back in the gym, signaling encouraging progress in his rehabilitation. Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brentford, suggested Havertz’s determination and work ethic could accelerate his return to action.
“Let’s see. Every injury is different, but the mindset of both [Havertz and Saka] is very similar—great injury history, strong work ethic, and they’re desperate to get back as quickly as possible,” Arteta said. “We’re lucky to have a great medical staff supporting them. Hopefully, we can have [Havertz] back, but we need to be patient. The last stage of rehab is key to understand whether they can make that final step.”
Should Havertz follow a similar recovery path to Bukayo Saka—who recently recovered from a minor issue—he could be in contention for Arsenal’s final Premier League match of the season. Depending on the Gunners’ European progress, a Champions League final appearance could also offer another opportunity for his return.
Meanwhile, Arteta confirmed that both Saka and midfielder Declan Rice are fit to feature against Brentford, easing fears after the pair picked up knocks in recent games.
“Dec and Bukayo are both fine. They took a couple of knocks, but they’ve recovered well,” Arteta assured.
The Arsenal boss also provided an update on Riccardo Calafiori, stating the young defender is progressing well, though he remains without a clear timeline for return.
“He’s in a good place,” Arteta said. “But he needs to take the next step in his rehab with the team environment to see how he responds.”
Arsenal host Brentford live on Sky Sports’ Saturday Night Football as the title race and Champions League ambitions intensify.