Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has delivered a significant fitness boost, confirming that Kai Havertz could make his long-awaited return from injury in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie away to Portsmouth.
Havertz Nearing First-Team Comeback
The Germany international has been sidelined since August with a knee problem, making just a single appearance so far this season. However, after stepping up his training load in recent days, the 26-year-old is now in contention to feature at Fratton Park. "If everything goes well, I think so," Arteta stated. "He trains well, he's increased his load, he's coping with that really well. And it will be great if we can have him."
Havertz was a key figure for the Gunners last campaign, netting 15 goals, but faces increased competition following the summer signing of Viktor Gyokeres. Arteta emphasised that the former Chelsea star understands the level required to regain his place. "When a player has the chance to put our shirt on and compete for us, you know that the demands are excellence - and that's it. Kai is aware of that," the Spaniard added.
Arteta's Unpleasant Fratton Park Memories
This weekend's match will mark Arsenal's first visit to Portsmouth since March 2020, a 2-0 victory en route to winning the FA Cup that season. However, it is a fixture that holds difficult personal memories for Arteta, who believes he may have contracted Covid-19 that day. Goals from Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Eddie Nketiah secured the win, but the manager was too ill to celebrate. "I don't know what it was, but I wasn't feeling great," Arteta recalled. "The moment that we scored the goal I was desperate to go home because I was shaking and not feeling great."
Squad Rotation Key for Busy Schedule
With Arsenal competing on four fronts, Arteta confirmed he is planning to rotate his squad during a demanding run of fixtures. The club faces four consecutive away games across different competitions in the coming weeks. "We have to manage [it], because [of] what is coming again in the next few weeks," he explained. "We have to make sure that everybody is participating, we continue to perform and win games. And we're going to have to manage that one."
The potential return of Kai Havertz provides a timely option as Arteta looks to balance his resources while maintaining the club's challenge for silverware on multiple fronts.
