Arsenal suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season against Inter Milan on Wednesday evening. The loss was further compounded by a painful injury to star player, Kai Havertz.
The North London side had a challenging evening at the San Siro, where they faced off against Inter Milan. German forward, Kai Havertz, who was named in the Gunners' starting lineup, found himself covered in blood after a painful collision with an opponent.
Mikel Merino was controversially penalised for a handball during the match. This led to Inter star Hakan Calhanoglu scoring from the resultant spot-kick. However, things took a turn for worse when Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had to withdraw one of his key players due to an injury.
Collision and aftermath
Havertz collided heavily with Inter defender Yann Bisseck during stoppage time. Both players clashed heads and required immediate medical attention. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans and team members alike, Havertz seemed to bear the brunt of this collision as he began bleeding profusely from his head.
Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer promptly called upon Arsenal's medical staff onto the pitch following this incident. After several minutes of treatment on-field, Havertz walked off covered in blood while Simon Murphy - Arsenal physiotherapist - also sported large blood stains on his coat post-treatment. This incident has raised concerns about Havertz’s fitness ahead of upcoming matches - particularly as Arsenal is set to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge soon; a game that would have seen him play against his former team.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, said:
"Kai Havertz had a big cut and hopefully he will be OK for the weekend."
However, there was some respite amidst these concerns as Captain Martin Odegaard made his first appearance since August during closing stages in Italy after recovering from an ankle injury.
Other potential absences for Chelsea clash
In addition to Havertz, another player who might miss the upcoming weekend's game is England midfielder Declan Rice. He picked up an injury during a match against Newcastle.
As Arsenal navigates through these challenges, fans and team members alike will be hoping for a swift recovery for their injured players. The impact of these injuries on the team's performance in future matches remains to be seen.
