Arsenal have confirmed that German forward Kai Havertz has undergone surgery following a knee problem sustained earlier this month.
“Further to sustaining a knee injury after our recent game against Manchester United on 17 August, subsequent assessments and specialist reviews with Kai confirmed that surgery would be required,” the club announced in a statement.
“Today, Kai underwent a successful minor surgical procedure. He will shortly begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting Kai to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
The 26-year-old suffered the setback after coming off the bench for summer signing Viktor Gyokeres during the second half of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford.
As a result, he sat out the Gunners’ first home fixture of the campaign against newly-promoted Leeds United, which Mikel Arteta’s men won emphatically 5-0.
The injury adds to Arsenal’s growing list of concerns, with Bukayo Saka and skipper Martin Odegaard both limping off in their most recent outing due to hamstring and shoulder problems respectively, just days before a crucial top-of-the-table clash with defending champions Liverpool at Anfield.
Havertz has also been omitted from Germany’s squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland, after Arsenal’s medical team, together with national doctors, agreed surgery was the best option.