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Mikel Arteta has expressed confidence that his team can continue to cope with fitness issues following disclosing that forward Kai Havertz will not return for the coming weeks.

Extended Absence for Havertz

The German forward has been absent since the summer following an operation on his knee. Originally slated to return earlier in December, Arteta revealed the player hit a snag when increasing his rehabilitation and was unable to move forward “the required stage.”

“We took lessons, and managed to assemble a team that is far more dependable and has greater depth,” Arteta said.

Tactical Decisions for Midweek Fixture

This development creates a selection headache for Wednesday’s match against Brentford. The manager needs to decide between continuing to use Mikel Merino, who found the net playing out of position last weekend, or recalling Viktor Gyökeres, who made a return off the bench as a substitute. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is in contention following a lengthy absence.

Fitness Doubts Remain

More doubts surround centre-back William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who were absent for the Chelsea match. As a result, recent arrivals Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are expected to continue in the heart of the defence for the Premier League front-runners.

Arteta feels the £250m spend on reinforcements in the last transfer window has resulted in a much stronger position to deal with such unavailability.

Squad Depth Vital for Title Challenge

In response if a larger pool of players was helping their title quest, his response was positive. “Indeed, as this campaign has presented greater challenges in certain positions, and now the problems with the backline,” he continued.

“We learned from the past that we need to utilize players in various roles, and they need to be prepared to fulfil different roles if we want to compete at the highest level. And the instance of Mikel Merino.”

Arteta's Support for Frustrated Havertz

Addressing the delay highlighted by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta offered additional context. “He was doing everything. He failed to advance to the subsequent stage and now it appears like we have overcome that hurdle.”

He shared his eagerness to have him back. “Everyone is eager to have him. Honestly, he is a footballer who, for me, I admire greatly for what he brings to the team, but his character, his nature. I watch him struggle on the sidelines.”

“His playing record is phenomenal, he's usually fit, and I am eagerly awaiting to get him back with the squad playing because I think it’s going to be a massive boost.”