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Arsenal's manager feels assured that his team can persist in handling with injury setbacks following revealing that attacker Kai Havertz remains out for a few more weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for Havertz

Havertz has been absent since August after undergoing knee surgery. Originally slated to come back sooner, Arteta explained the player hit a snag when increasing his recovery and was unable to move forward “to the next level.”

“Our experience helped us build a group that is far more dependable and has greater depth,” commented Arteta.

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This development leaves a selection headache for Wednesday’s match against Brentford. A decision is required between sticking with Mikel Merino, who scored as a makeshift striker against Chelsea, or reinstating Viktor Gyökeres, who came back off the bench as a substitute. Long-term absentee Gabriel Jesus is also in contention post-recovery.

Defensive Concerns Persist

More doubts involve defender William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who sat out the Chelsea match. As a result, new recruits Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will probably keep their places in the heart of the defence for the table-toppers.

Arteta believes the substantial investment on reinforcements during the summer has left Arsenal in a more robust situation to handle such setbacks.

Squad Depth Key to Premier League Pursuit

Questioned if more options was aiding their league challenge, the manager agreed. “Absolutely, since the current term has been worse in the attacking line, and now the problems with the defence,” he added.

“Our previous experiences taught us that we need to utilize players in various roles, and they need to be prepared to perform various functions if we want to compete at this level. And the case of Mikel is probably the prime illustration.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Frustrated Havertz

Addressing the delay highlighted by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta offered additional context. “His recovery was progressing. He was unable to progress to the next level and now it’s looking like we have overcome that hurdle.”

The manager conveyed his eagerness to welcome him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. Honestly, it’s a player that, for me, I admire greatly for the qualities he offers to the team, but his mentality, his personality. I watch him struggle on the sidelines.”

“His availability record is exceptional, he’s been always available, and I am eagerly awaiting to see him return around the team on the pitch because I think it’s going to be a huge lift.”