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The Gunners' boss feels assured that his team can keep managing with player absences following revealing that star striker Kai Havertz remains out for several more weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for German Star

Havertz has been out for months following knee surgery. Originally slated to come back sooner, Arteta revealed the player faced a hurdle when advancing his rehabilitation and was unable to move forward “the next phase.”

“Our experience helped us build a team that is far more dependable and has increased versatility,” Arteta said.

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This update leaves a tactical puzzle for Wednesday’s match against Brentford. The manager needs to decide between continuing to use Mikel Merino, who scored as a makeshift striker last weekend, or reinstating Viktor Gyökeres, who featured briefly off the bench as a substitute. Long-term absentee Gabriel Jesus is also an option after 11 months out.

Fitness Doubts Linger

Additional concerns surround defender William Saliba and attacker Leandro Trossard, who sat out the Chelsea match. As a result, recent arrivals Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are likely to start again in central defence for the league leaders.

The manager is convinced the £250m spend on new players ahead of this season has placed the club in a much stronger position to handle such unavailability.

Greater Options Vital for Premier League Pursuit

When asked if more options was benefiting their title quest, the manager agreed. “Indeed, because this season has been worse in the attacking line, and now what’s happening with the defence,” he added.

“We learned from the past that we must deploy players in alternative spots, and they have to be able to perform various functions if we aim to challenge at the top. And the case of Mikel Merino.”

Arteta's Support for Suffering Havertz

Commenting on the delay previously mentioned by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta offered additional context. “He was doing everything. He could not go to the next level and now it appears like we have unlocked that.”

Arteta expressed his eagerness to see him return. “Everyone is eager to have him. Truly, Havertz is someone that, in my view, I admire greatly for what he brings to the team, but his character, his attitude. I see him suffer on the sidelines.”

“His availability record is outstanding, he's rarely been injured, and I am eagerly awaiting to have him back involved on the pitch because I feel it’s going to be a huge lift.”