Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has played down any serious concerns over Kai Havertz after the Germany striker had to be sent off with blood on his face during Wednesday’s defeat to Inter.
Havertz led the line for the Gunners on their Champions League trip to the San Siro, failing to find the net as the visitors fell to a controversial 1-0 defeat. After Hakan Calhanoglu’s first-half penalty, Arsenal had most of the ball and racked up 20 shots without ever coming close to finding a way past Inter’s Yann Sommer.
The visitors continued to go ahead in stoppage time when Havertz challenged Yann Aurel Bisseck at the back post. arsenalThe striker fared worse. Sommer hurriedly urged medical personnel to attend to Havertz, whose face was soon covered in blood.
Arteta eased any concerns over the German’s health after the midweek defeat, revealing: “Kai, he’s got a big cut. He had to come off because he needed stitches. Hopefully he’ll be fine at the weekend.”
havertz He wasn’t the only Arsenal player forced off through injury. Mikel Merino did not start in the second half after receiving a blow to the head.
The Spanish midfielder was in the epicenter of two penalty decisions. Shortly before being penalized for a handball in the Arsenal box, Merino was denied a spot-kick after Sommer missed a cross and inadvertently punched the visiting player.
“No, he wasn’t shocked,” Arteta explained “Yesterday and today it didn’t feel great and when I looked at it I decided to take it off because I need it 100%.”
While Havertz and Merino appear to have avoided any lasting damage in an unfortunate loss, Arteta was also able to welcome back his much-missed captain Martin Odegaard. The talismanic player has sat out the last two months with a sprained ankle but has eased back to training in the last few days and made a cameo at San Siro.
Arteta will need as many players as possible for a Premier League visit to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
