Paul Merson closed the 'unacceptable' hamstring injury of Kai Havertz after the Arsenal Forward was excluded for the rest of the season.
The Gunners have confirmed that Havertz will undergo surgery in the coming days before they undergo a recovery and rehabilitation program that will extend until the preseason.
“Everyone at the club is completely focused on supporting KAI to ensure that he is back in full fitness as soon as possible,” the club wrote in a statement on its website.
The injury was sustained during a hot weather training camp in Dubai, while the Gunners enjoyed a week freely because they were out of the FA Cup, although the journey that came at a cost, making them even lighter.
Bukayo Saka could miss up to eight weeks more with his own hamstring problem, while Gabriel Martinelli is also put aside and Gabriel Jesus is for the season.
Merson, who spoke on Sky Sports, criticized the German, although he admitted that his absence would be noticed with the Emirates.
“I mainly think (he will be a miss),” Merson started. 'If he doesn't play in the front, he plays behind, he has a good understanding with (Martin) Odegaard and can drop off or play center.
“He gets a little stick, but I'm a big fan of Havertz. He may miss chances, but he comes in positions. This is a huge miss.
'To draw your hamstring, it is unacceptable. What you have to do is just stretch and if you stretch well, it is very rare that you will draw a hamstring. When I heard the news that he would be out after he had pulled his hamstring in a training camp for warm weather … I can't believe what happened, I really can't. '
Arsenal Trail Liverpool with seven points in the Premier League title race, in which both teams have now played the same number of matches on the back of the Merseyside Derby.
The Reds had a match in hand for a few months because the match was postponed due to Storm Darragh, but that match took place this week and their lead was extended with a point.
With 14 games left, there is still plenty to play for, but Arsenal, who already had trouble scoring goals on a consistent basis, are exhausted in attack.
They have an easier walk -in than Liverpool, but have to find a solution for their lack of options in forward areas, despite the fact that Saka and Martinelli can return in due course.
Meron meanwhile called for those who are suitable for acting. The will of Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri will not enjoy more regular playing time and will have to deliver if Arsenal would win their first league title since 2004.
“Time will learn it,” Merson continued. 'If they lost the competition with one or two or three points … If Liverpool won the other day, I don't care who plays for Arsenal, nine points is a long way.
“Now it's seven,. They make a difference, those two points. In my opinion it becomes Trossard, Nwaneri and Sterling, the front three. That is the way it looks. You sit down with sterling and say. “You have six or seven games, go out, enjoy it, show us what you have. Go play”.
“He has been a BIT part player and it's hard. You come up with whether you start and think that if you don't do it right, you go out. People think so and it's hard not to do that. Now he has to play and hopefully we see the best of him.
“Those three can gel. The air is the limit for Nwaneri, he will be on a consistent base in the team – we never know if they will be a superstar until they get a run in the team and he now has a real chance. '
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