Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta may be forced use to his contingency plan for their Champions League clash with Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. The Spaniard has been rocked by the absence of three key players in training on the eve of their home clash, as the Gunners hope to take another step towards qualifying for the knockout stages.
Arteta is facing the possibility of starting the game without captain Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and fellow striker Eddie Nketiah. All three players were absent from their training session at London Colney in Tuesday ahead of the game with fitness concerns applying to the trio.
Odegaard was deemed unfit for the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle, there were hopes that he would recover in time to face Sevilla.
But the Norwegian’s absence will raise concerns once again, while Nketiah has joined Jesus in being a doubt for the clash – leaving Arteta light in attacking options in facing the Europa League winners.
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But for Arteta, this will give him the chance to unleash Kai Havertz in a role he is familiar with but has rarely played at Arsenal. Chelsea’s £65m summer signing spent the final 12 months of his time at Stamford Bridge as a centre-forward, a role he seemed suited for.
However, Arsenal’s front three are much more fluid and Havertz can use his ability to circle central spaces as a ‘false nine’.
His versatility is part of what attracted Arteta to the idea of signing him and, while his Arsenal career is yet to take off, playing there against struggling Sevilla could be what he needs.
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Arteta has also shown his willingness to use Leandro Trossard in a similar role when Jesus and Nketiah were unavailable in the past. And since Odegaard isn’t sure if he’s compatible over time, it’s possible that Havertz will simply be left behind.
The German scored his first goal for the club from the penalty spot but has yet to score from open play. The 24-year-old’s ferocious display against Newcastle on Saturday indicated that he is in a position to improve his level. efforts and show more enthusiasm alongside Arteta.
And a player with his experience in the competition, who scored the winning goal in the 2020-21 final against Manchester City, could be just what Arsenal need to put the Spanish side to the sword.
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