Arsenal’s charge towards Premier League and Champions League glory has lost some momentum – and it is problems in attack that are threatening to spoil all their good work.
Viktor Gyokeres took his tally to 19 for the season against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night in what was one of his finest performances since his arrival in north London last summer.
There have been other encouraging days – his two-goal display in the north London derby against Tottenham in January was more evidence of him turning up when it matters. But far too often, the Sweden international has struggled leading the line in the Premier League.
It was telling that in the Premier League showdown against Manchester City at the Eithad two weeks ago – the club’s biggest game of the season – Mikel Arteta dropped Gyokeres to the bench with Kai Havertz restored up front.
With Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard also playing their roles, Arsenal’s attack operated with more cohesion and fluidity than it had in some weeks. It was little surprise then that the Germany international kept his place in the side at home to Newcastle United last Saturday.
In the context of the title run-in, with Arsenal desperately in need of something fresh in attack, the sight of Havertz limping off and heading straight down the tunnel after 34 minutes was a huge blow.
The former Chelsea star was left out of the squad last night in Madrid as a result of that groin injury but reports this week have suggested his issue is not being viewed as a serious one.
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But even if it is on the minor end of the scale, the issue could rule Havertz out of some of Arsenal’s remaining four Premier League games.
‘They haven’t confirmed what it is but it has been speculated it is a groin injury,’ Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, told Metro.
‘If it is a groin injury, in the best case scenario where it is a minor grade 1, we are still talking about anywhere form a week to three weeks. But something bigger, he probably doesn’t return in time.
‘If it is a grade 2 then we are talking about a more significant injury, maybe a partial tear of the muscle or the tendon itself. Generally, you are looking at a three to eight week window for that.’
Arteta’s faith in Havertz has been close to unwavering since his move across the capital three years ago but the Gunners boss has leant on other options when required.
Mikel Merino’s role as an auxiliary striker has been a roaring success for club and country with the Spain international arguably the most composed finisher in the Arsenal squad. While he lacks the natural instincts to take up the role on a full-time basis, he seldom lets his manager down, scoring four times in his seven appearances up top this term.
Merino has not played since the end of January, undergoing what was described as a ‘very rare’ foot surgery in the weeks that followed. Speaking after the win over Newcastle, Arsenal legend Ian Wright spoke optimistically of the former Real Sociedad star returning to have a decisive role in the season-run in.
But the reality doesn’t appear as bright. Merino does not appear to have returned to training with Arteta admitting last week it was ‘too early’ to discuss a comeback. Merino himself has stressed the importance of being ‘very careful’ and ‘patient’ in his rehabilitation with a World Cup campaign also to think about.
While not every detail of a player’s return to training will be shared online, there has been no suggestion yet the midfielder has returned to the grass with the window for a role to play this season closing every day.
Asked if it realistic to consider Merino a viable option in the coming weeks, Smith said: ‘I would think probably not. His surgery was so rare we still don’t know exactly what the issue is. He was in a protective boot for a quite a long period of time.
‘We have four weeks of the season left and he hasn’t returned to the field to train yet. After that length of a layoff as well, you would probably want four weeks of training on the field before you start thinking about returning. So I would say it is highly unlikely at this stage.
‘Even if you were to rush him back even for just a single game, it would feel like a huge risk and could potentially backfire if things don’t go well and potentially send him back to square one again.
‘You would want a graduated return from long-term injuries. Even if they are not training with the wider team, you would normally see athletes out jogging. Before they are introduced to team training, you would typically see them out doing some activity themselves, working with physios, building up their stamina and working on other things.
‘With an ACL injury where you can be out for a minimum of six months, players are normally spending a third of that out on the field. In this scenario, if a third of the rehabilitation period includes him back training, you would still want him back for around a month before any big decisions are made.’