"He's done certain part of the sessions" - Mikel Arteta claims long-term Arsenal absentee could feature against Newcastle
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Kai Havertz could return to the side for the Gunners' Premier League fixture against Newcastle United. The north London giants will take on Eddie Howe's Magpies at the Emirates on Sunday, May 18.
Arsenal and Newcastle United both have the opportunity to secure Champions League football next season with three points. Hence, both sides are expected to go all out for a victory on Sunday night.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Newcastle game, Mikel Arteta has claimed that Kai Havertz could return to the side for the game. He also credited the Germany international as well as the medical staff for his quick recovery from a hamstring injury. He said, as quoted by Tribal Football:
“We're going to decide that tomorrow. He's done certain part of the sessions in the last two days. It's with the medical staff and how Kai feels. It's a credit to him and the medical staff and they've been pushing. He looks in great shape and you see the transformation on him which is really impressive.”
Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring injury in February, which has seen him miss 18 games across competitions. He has scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 34 appearances across competitions this campaign.
The Germany international joined Arsenal from local rivals Chelsea in 2023 for a reported fee of £65 million. He has so far made 85 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 29 times and producing 13 assists.
Emmanuel Petit offers his advice for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit has urged Mikel Arteta to improve the Arsenal squad without losing key players in the summer. The north London giants look set to finish second in the Premier League for the third season in a row.
The Gunners made the semi-finals of the Champions League, beating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals but lost to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the semis. With William Saliba linked with a move to Real Madrid, Petit urged Arteta to keep his star players at all costs and improve the squad. He said, as quoted by Metro:
"Arsenal are still second and got to the semi-final of the Champions League, so it’s about what happens next in the transfer market. The club needs to bring in top players and keep hold of their best players, like William Saliba, who Real Madrid want."
"After we lost against Paris Saint-Germain, the fans were mocking Arsenal because of that. It’s the same in England, you know, Arsenal are a good team, a good club, but everyone says that they are not one of the top clubs in Europe in terms of history."
The Frenchman added:
"That’s because they have failed, and I’m tired of it. This team needs to change the situation and win something, they need to compete until the end and not just at the start."
"Arsenal need to improve season after season and win the Champions League to prove people wrong. If you want to compete with the best clubs in Europe, you have to improve your squad every season, and that happens by keeping hold of your best players."
Mikel Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal since 2019 and has helped the club win one FA Cup and two FA Community Shields. The north London giants have not won a trophy since 2023 when they beat Manchester City in the FA Community Shield.
