Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - February 2, 2025 Arsenal's Kai Havertz with manager Mikel Arteta after being substituted REUTERS/David Klein
Dec 26 (Reuters) - Arsenal forward Kai Havertz, out since August with a knee injury, is close to playing again after returning to training this week, manager Mikel Arteta said.
The Premier League leaders, who host Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, posted a video of the German striker in training on Tuesday.
The return of Havertz is welcome news for Arteta at a time when Arsenal have failed to score a non-penalty goal in their last three matches.
Arsenal's primary striker Viktor Gyokeres has scored only once, from the spot, since returning from a muscle injury last month.
"I think it will be a matter of days, if not weeks. Let's see in the next step how (Havertz) responds to that. He's a player that we missed a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension. So, I'm really happy to have him back very soon," Arteta told reporters.
Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, out since last month with a hamstring injury, has not returned to training yet, the manager said. Fellow centre-back Cristhian Mosquera and right-back Ben White are also out with injuries.
Arteta's men, who have finished second in the Premier League three times in a row, lost at Aston Villa earlier this month, before getting two scrappy wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton to remain two points ahead of Manchester City.
Arsenal will play Villa again on December 30.
“Well, we need to obviously prepare for what is coming... and enjoy the pleasure and the opportunity that we have to be playing at this level, in this country, with the history that we have here," Arteta said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru)
