Arsenal striker Kai Havertz has announced that he has undergone successful surgery on the season-ending hamstring injury he suffered in Dubai.
The Germany international sustained the crushing problem while stretching to block a shot during the Gunners' warm-weather training camp, and Arsenal confirmed last week that he would undergo an operation.
Posting a photo from his hospital bed onto X, Havertz confirmed that his operation was a success and also hailed the team's performance in their 2-0 triumph over Leicester City on Saturday lunchtime.
"The last few days have been tough to process both physically and mentally. But yesterday was a good day. A successful op and a win 🙌🏼," Havertz wrote as he shared a snap of his leg in a protective brace.
"Thanks for all the messages of support over the last few days, it's really helped. I'm now focused on my journey to full fitness and giving all the support I can give to the team in the background."
Havertz admits hamstring injury has been "tough to process"
Before picking up his freak injury earlier this month, Havertz struck 15 goals in all competitions and is comfortably Arsenal's highest scorer this season for all the recent criticism.
The 25-year-old had been guilty of wasting numerous golden opportunities in earlier appearances of 2025, but he atoned for one such miss with Arsenal's fourth in their recent 5-1 battering of Manchester City.
Havertz is now one of five stricken Arsenal players in the infirmary, as fellow striker Gabriel Jesus will not return from his ACL injury for several months and could even be out until early 2026.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are also nursing hamstring injuries of their own, but both wingers are expected to make their comebacks at some point in March, although Saka's recovery could extend into April.
Further back, Takehiro Tomiyasu is reportedly set to undergo surgery on his second troublesome knee injury of the season, but Ben White was at least back on the bench against Leicester.
How will Arsenal cope without Havertz?
As expected, Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling started together in attack at the weekend, but it was super sub Mikel Merino who saved Arsenal's bacon with a heroic late double off the bench.
The Spaniard has now staked his claim to start as an emergency number nine over the ineffective Sterling, but Arteta has insisted that he will have to continue to get creative and think of several alternative solutions.
"We're going to have to share that, we know that," Arteta said at his post-game press conference. "We're going to have various contexts; sometimes we're going to have to make a sub because a player isn't performing, or because the opposition is doing something else, or because someone's a yellow card, or it's fatigue, that's going to restrict what we do really in terms of the personnel.
"We have prepared for different scenarios then those have to work, hopefully they will work as good as Mikel worked today."
Arsenal return to the Emirates to face off with West Ham United next Saturday, by which point they could be 10 points behind Liverpool in the table if the Reds beat Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa on Sunday and Wednesday respectively. body check tags ::
