Havertz Heads Back to Arsenal for Treatment After Muscle Strain on Germany Duty

The same physical issue again, and the same sense of worry back at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz is returning to Arsenal for treatment after picking up an injury on international duty with Germany, right when it seemed he'd finally put a rough injury-hit season behind him.

The forward had to come off in the 30th minute of Germany's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands after feeling discomfort in his hamstring. It didn't take long to get a diagnosis: the German federation confirmed that follow-up medical tests revealed a muscle strain, and with that report in hand, Havertz left the squad managed by Jurgen Klopp.

The news lands hard in London. The striker had already missed nearly five months of last season with a knee injury, a lengthy absence that kept him out for much of the campaign. This time, though, he'd repaid Mikel Arteta's faith in full, starting all five of Arsenal's Premier League matches so far this season and holding off Viktor Gyokeres for the starting spot.

That's exactly what stings most about this latest setback. Havertz had become a fixture in Arteta's setup, and seeing him walk off with a muscle issue reopens old wounds for a club that knows all too well what it's like to depend on his recovery. Still, amid the uncertainty there's reason for cautious optimism: Arsenal believes this latest episode isn't serious, though that will need to be confirmed once the club's own medical staff has had a chance to assess him following his return.

For now, the schedule offers a bit of breathing room. Arsenal doesn't play again until it hosts Leeds at the Emirates Stadium on October 10, a date that will serve as the first real test of whether Havertz is back in time or whether the club has to once again plan without one of its most trusted attacking options.