Arsenal suffer nightmare injury repeat in major Premier League title race twist

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Arsenal have been dealt a new injury setback, with Kai Havertz poised for a stint out of action due to a muscular issue, just as a series of crucial matches loom.

The German forward is set to be absent for the North London Derby against Tottenham , as well as fixtures against Brentford, Wolves , and Wigan, according to The Athletic . This presents another worry for Havertz, who was sidelined for most of the first half of the season due to a knee injury.

The initial issue was picked up during an early encounter with Manchester United , necessitating a procedure to aid the 26-year-old's return to peak fitness. His eventual comeback has bolstered the attacking options at Mikel Arteta's disposal, but this looks set to be disrupted once more.

Arteta had to rely on Viktor Gyokeres earlier in the season, with Gabriel Jesus recuperating from a knee injury, compounded by Havertz's absence. Despite ongoing queries about his suitability for the Premier League with Arsenal , the striker has since been aided by the recent returns of his teammates.

Havertz has featured in just three league games this season, starting in the last two clashes against Leeds United and Sunderland . The latter match saw him provide an assist, sparking some optimism that he could step up and demonstrate his quality within the squad since his arrival at the club.

That came in a deeper midfield position, allowing Gyokeres to operate freely up front, as he netted twice for the Gunners against Sunderland. Explaining the choice to deploy Havertz in that capacity, Arteta said: "Well, I suppose with the kind of game that we expected as well and the way they play and the type of threat that we wanted to create as well with him and Gabby in and around the three central defenders.

"So, yeah, something as well that we have to use because we have very different qualities from Kai to Martin or to Ebs or another attacking midfielder."

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For the time being, however, it appears as though Havertz won't be available for Arteta over the forthcoming weeks across all competitions. That represents a setback the evening before Arsenal face Brentford in the league, with the fixture being a crucial one in how the title contest could unfold.

Manchester City's dramatic victory over Liverpool , combined with their win against Fulham , has seen the margin at the summit reduced to merely three points. Arsenal have a chance to extend that advantage to six points, before they meet Wolves next week, as well as Tottenham in the North London Derby.

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All three fixtures represent an opportunity for the Gunners to maintain momentum at the very summit, but they will need to be at their offensive finest to achieve this. Slotted between all of that is an encounter in the FA Cup against League One side Wigan Athletic, where Arteta may be inclined to rotate marginally.

Havertz joins an injury roster that includes several crucial stars who are uncertain for the forthcoming title race battles. Mikel Merino has a broken bone in his foot, which appears set to sideline him for some time, with surgery now concluded and the recuperation process beginning.

Max Dowman is approaching a comeback following an ankle injury that has sidelined him for several months, but he isn't quite prepared yet. Then there are question marks over Bukayo Saka , Martin Odegaard, and Leandro Trossard , following minor injury concerns for them in recent weeks.

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