Arsenal Confirm Star Forward Undergoes Surgery, Recovery Timeline Detailed

It’s been confirmed that Kai Havertz’s knee injury forced him to undergo surgery; however, he’s not expected to be sidelined a considerable amount of time.

Havertz suffered an injury during Arsenal’s season opener vs. Manchester United. After nearly two weeks of trying to take a conservative approach to his treatment, the Gunners released a statement detailing the German had to go under the knife.

“Today, Kai [Havertz] underwent a successful minor surgical procedure,” the statement read. “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 key word in the statement is “minor”. The Athletic reported Havertz isn’t in for a lengthy absence, with his timetable for a return appearing to be a matter of weeks not months.

Initial reports suggested Havertz was at risk of missing an extended period of time, with the threat of surgery looming large. Although the 26-year-old did end up requiring surgery, he seems to have avoided a major injury.

The Gunners are well-equipped to handle Havertz’s absence. After bagging a brace last time out, Viktor Gyökeres is poised to lead the line in coming games. Havertz’s injury also saw the Gunners reignite their pursuit of Eberechi Eze, who has since joined Arsenal and could make his debut for the club this weekend.

After featuring in all but one Premier League game in his debut season with Arsenal in 2024–25, Havertz missed considerable time last season due to a hamstring injury. His absence forced Arsenal to deploy Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker during the climax of the campaign.

Given the wealth of options Arsenal have in attack this term, Havertz will hope to return to the pitch as soon as possible to fight for a place in Mikel Arteta’s lineup. However, for now, he’s joined by both Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard—though the latter’s injury seems to be minor—in the treatment room, with key injuries plaguing Arsenal early in the season.

Arsenal will travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, in an early season matchup that could potentially have massive Premier League title ramifications come the end of the season.