Arsenal: Ornstein confirms injury blow as key star to miss four games; Arteta urged to bench Odegaard | OneFootball

Respected reporter David Ornstein has revealed another injury blow for Arsenal, who will be without Kai Havertz for several key matches.

Arsenal spent around £250m on signings in last summer’s transfer window, with this business ensuring that they are better equipped to deal with injuries.

Injuries to key players have hit Mikel Arteta‘s side at different times this season, but they have been relatively unscathed by these issues as they are three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand.

They have also reached the Carabao Cup final, while they are in the Champions League knockout stages and remain in the FA Cup.

Arsenal are short of midfield options without injured Mikel Merino and Ethan Nwaneri, who is currently on loan at Marseille. Now, their situation has been worsened with Havertz suffering another injury after only returning to action last month.

The Athletic’s Ornstein revealed on Wednesday night that Havertz has ‘sustained a muscular injury’ which is ‘not thought to be serious’.

The report adds: ‘The forward is now expected to miss the north London derby on February 22.

‘Before Arsenal’s clash with rivals Tottenham Hotspur, they take on Brentford on Thursday, Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Sunday and Wolverhampton Wanderers next Wednesday, with Havertz set to be sidelined throughout.’

Arsenal will hope that they can cope without Odegaard for Thursday’s match against Brentford, though Nigel Winterburn has explained why he does not think fit-again Martin Odegaard should start.

“We’ve seen Havertz come back and he’s done very well,” Winterburn told The Metro via Zamsino NZ.

“How much game time does a manager want to give him in a short period of time after nearly a year out is a question.

“Odegaard could come back in there, Eze could come back in there. So, it’s such a difficult question to answer as to who should start.

“Odegaard is the captain, but I still don’t think that’s going to give him the right to come straight back into the team when he’s fit, and I think he should have to wait his turn.”

Winterburn has also offered advice to Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze, who needs to “adapt”.

“From now to the end of the season, I would think Eze is going to get plenty of game time. He’s a player I really like,” Winterburn added.

“He’s now at a huge club in terms of expectation, and he, Havertz, and Odegaard are battling to be in the same position.

“The one thing I would say is Odegaard’s all energy. Eze looks a little bit more laid back with the way, the style he plays.

“But when he gets that opportunity, when he comes on or if he starts, I would just like to see him a bit more demanding of the ball in the creative areas and really showing us what we know he can do.

“He’s got lovely close control, can pick out a pass, can score goals. Although we don’t like to say it, sometimes, when you sign players, you give them up to a year to completely settle in.

“We want everyone to hit the ground running and show us exactly what they’ve got. But Mikel Arteta’s style is a high-intensity press.

“It’s a huge amount of workload on the players, and Eze’s just got to adapt to that situation.”