Havertz may need surgery after suffer knee injury, confirms international chief

Arsenal striker Kai Havertz may require surgery for a knee injury he suffered in the club's clash with Man United.

The German forward appeared as a second-half substitute at Old Trafford on the opening weekend and subsequently was left out of the squad for the club's win over Leeds on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta later revealed that the extent of Havertz's injury had not yet been confirmed as the Gunners boss was left sweating over his fitness.

Now, with an international break around the corner Rudi Voller, the men's national team director at the German FA, has revealed that Havertz will play no part in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Slovakia and Northern Ireland.

Voller added that surgery remains a possibility for the 26-year-old.

'He certainly won't make it, he has a knee injury,' Voller said.

'We don't know exactly how it will go in the coming weeks, whether surgery is upcoming or it will be treated conservatively.'

Havertz endured an campaign disrupted by injury as Arsenal recorded a third consecutive second-placed finish under Mikel Arteta last season.

During a mid-season training camp in Dubai back in February Havertz pulled up with a hamstring injury leaving Arteta without a recognised striker.

After subsequently undergoing surgery for the issue, Havertz was out for three months before returning to make cameo appearances off the bench in the club's final two Premier League games of the season.

Havertz arrived in north London in the summer of 2023 following a three-year stint at Chelsea that saw him win the Champions League in 2021.

In 88 games in all competitions for the Gunners he has scored 29 times.