Havertz Out of Leeds, and Arsenal Are Weighing a Merino False Nine

Kai Havertz will not be available when Arsenal host Leeds United in the Premier League's return from the international break, and Mikel Arteta is weighing an unexpected solution to the gap up front: Mikel Merino as a false nine. The German Football Association confirmed the striker suffered a muscle strain after he was forced off 30 minutes into Germany's 1-1 Nations League draw with the Netherlands, and he has since returned to London for assessment.

A false nine instead of a straight swap

The natural replacement would be Viktor Gyokeres, the summer signing who has kept Havertz out of the side for long stretches this season. But reports of Arteta's thinking suggest the Swede is not the automatic pick. Merino, fit again and capable of playing as a makeshift striker for club and country, is under consideration for the Leeds game because of what he adds in build-up play and ball-winning, even though Gyokeres' finishing record is superior. The judgement call says as much about how Arsenal want to play against a promoted side content to sit deep as it does about either player.

Gyokeres' own form adds a layer of intrigue. He became the first player to score in six consecutive Nations League matches while away with Sweden this month, a streak that continued against Romania and Poland. If Arsenal's head coach goes with Merino's link play instead, he will be benching a striker in the sharpest form of his career to this point.

Tzolis adds to the attacking absences

Havertz is not the only forward Arteta has lost to the break. Christos Tzolis limped out of Greece's draw with the Netherlands after 18 minutes, and scans carried out on Friday point to a hamstring issue that Greek reports suggest will keep him out for around three weeks. That timeline would rule him out of the Leeds fixture and put the following week's matches at risk too.

The defensive picture is brighter. William Saliba has been closing in on a return from the back problem that has kept him out since France's World Cup campaign, while Mosquera is also nearing contention after three league games out. Arsenal may restart the season with something close to a full defensive complement — and a patched-together attack.