Arsenal's plans for the rest of the season have taken another blow with the news that Kai Havertz is set to miss the rest of the campaign with a torn hamstring.
The German attacker picked up the injury while the Premier League title challengers were away at a warm-weather camp in Dubai.
It is unclear whether Havertz will require surgery but reports on Wednesday said the club were focusing on the 25-year-old being fit for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Arsenal had already been without Bukayo Saka since December, while Gabriel Martinelli was forced off during the League Cup semi-final defeat at Newcastle United on February 5 – both were due to hamstring injuries.
Saka was with the squad in Dubai sporting a large scar from surgery on the back of his leg and is not expected to be fit until March, with Martinelli likely to return in around four weeks.
Striker Gabriel Jesus is set for a lengthy spell out after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the FA Cup defeat against Manchester United in January.
Arteta admitted after news of the Brazilian's long-term injury emerged, that the club was “actively looking … to improve the squad” in the last transfer window.
But when the window closed with no new additions made – despite a failed attempt to lure England striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa – the Spaniard admitted to being “disappointed” with the outcome.
“We had a clear intention which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad with players that can make an impact,” he said before the club's League Cup exit to Newcastle.
“With players injured, we've been impacted and we haven't achieved it.
“We are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kinds of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well. I think that we were.”
But that lack of transfer activity, followed by the loss of Havertz, is the worst possible outcome for Arteta.
It leaves the Gunners with only Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri as the club's recognised forwards.
Havertz has scored four goals and provided five assists in 34 appearances across all competitions this season, while only four Arsenal players have played more minutes than the German since the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
In Arsenal's 5-1 demolition of Manchester City in their last Premier league outing, Havertz scored one and supplied the pass for captain Martin Odegaard's opener at the Emirates Stadium.
They are currently second in the Premier League after 24 matches, six points behind leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand.
The North London club are also through to the Uefa Champions League last 16 after finishing third in the group stage.
Arteta had been hoping the Dubai trip would produce similar results to their last visit to the UAE 12 months ago.
At the start of 2024, Arsenal arrived in Dubai during the winter break in early January, and on the back of a run of just one win in seven games.
On their return, Arteta's team went on an eight-game winning streak in the league, scoring 33 goals and conceding just four.
“There are a lot of things that will be similar,” said Arteta about whether he was hoping for a similar outcome this time round. “The location, where we train, but of course we will have to modify it.
“We are going at a different moment of the season, different numbers, probably the team needs a different stimulus, so we are preparing a few things and hopefully it will work like it has the last few times.”
