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Arsenal's manager has expressed confidence that his team can persist in handling with injury setbacks after disclosing that attacker Kai Havertz will not return for several more weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for Havertz

The Germany international has been sidelined for months after undergoing knee surgery. Originally slated to come back sooner, Arteta explained the player hit a snag when advancing his rehabilitation and could not progress “to the next level.”

“Our experience helped us build a group that is far more dependable and has more options,” Arteta said.

Selection Dilemma for Midweek Fixture

This news creates a tactical puzzle for the midweek home game against Brentford. Arteta must choose between persisting with Mikel Merino, who scored as a makeshift striker on Sunday, or bringing back Viktor Gyökeres, who featured briefly after a fitness issue off the bench. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is also available post-recovery.

Defensive Concerns Remain

Additional concerns involve defender William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who were absent for the Chelsea match. Consequently, summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will probably start again in the backline for the Premier League front-runners.

Arteta feels the £250m spend on reinforcements in the last transfer window has placed the club in a much stronger position to handle such unavailability.

Greater Options Vital for Title Challenge

Questioned if a larger pool of players was aiding their title quest, Arteta was emphatic. “Absolutely, as this campaign has been worse in certain positions, and now the situation with the defence,” he continued.

“Our previous experiences taught us that we must deploy players in alternative spots, and they must be capable to adapt to new tasks if we want to compete at the highest level. And the case of Mikel is probably the prime illustration.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Frustrated Havertz

Speaking about the setback previously mentioned by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, the manager gave more insight. “He followed all protocols. He failed to advance to the subsequent stage and now it’s looking like we have overcome that hurdle.”

Arteta expressed his eagerness to welcome him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. Honestly, it’s a player that, in my view, I admire greatly for his contributions to the team, but his personality, his personality. I observe his frustration on the sidelines.”

“His playing record is exceptional, he’s been always available, and I look forward to get him back involved playing because I think it’s going to be a massive boost.”