Arsenal plunge into injury crisis as Havertz suffers issue during training trip

Arsenal striker Kai Havertz has suffered a worrying injury scare on the club’s training trip to Dubai.

Mail Sport understands the Germany international suffered the issue during a session earlier this week.

Sources have indicated the problem is hamstring related, though the precise diagnosis remains unconfirmed.

The club will confirm the extent of the issue in due course, but any hamstring injury will likely result in Havertz spending time on the sidelines.

Mikel Arteta will hope any absence is minimal with his squad already depleted in attacking areas with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all missing through injury.

Havertz is the club’s top scorer this season with 15 goals and any unavailability will arrive as a major blow to the team’s ambitions of overhauling Liverpool at the top of the table this season.

Meanwhile, Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu’s long-term fitness is of growing concern with the prospect of a second knee operation explored by the club.

The Japan defender has played just six minutes of football this season, coming on as a late substitute in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton in October, following a three month recovery from an knee injury that saw him miss the start of the season.

But he has not featured since that win over the Saints after suffering an injury setback and Mail Sport understands there are emerging fears over Tomiyasu’s troublesome knee with doctors believed to have considered sending their versatile defender for an operation in an effort to cure the issue.

A procedure would require a lengthy rehabilitation programme and likely rule Tomiyasu out for a significant period of time.

In 2023, Tomiyasu underwent an original knee operation which kept the 26-year-old out of action for three months.

With that in mind, a second knee procedure would arrive as a blow to Tomiyasu, whose time at Arsenal has already been beset by injury issues.

Speaking last month head coach Mikel Arteta provided a positive update on Tomiyasu’s fitness saying: ‘Tomi has done some stuff on the pitch, but now because it’s been a long-term injury, we need to see how quickly he can progress and how he reacts.’

But there is now some pessimism regarding Tomiyasu’s recovery, news amplified by talks over a potential operation.

Tomiyasu’s contract has 18 months left to run, but with Arsenal well-stocked at the back the defender may listen to offers for him at the end of the season.

However, any plans to sell Tomiyasu, who did not travel to Dubai on the club’s mid-winter trip, may have to be shelved if he goes under the knife.

The imminent return to fitness of Ben White will help to soften the blow of Tomiyasu’s ongoing unavailability.

White, who himself underwent knee surgery in November, is set to return and could be named in the squad to face Leicester this weekend.