Havertz heads back to Arsenal after Germany injury scare

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Kai Havertz's international break is over almost as soon as it began. The Arsenal forward was forced off during Germany's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday night after picking up a muscular problem, and he is now on his way back to London.

Havertz was caught by Quinten Timber during the contest and went down in obvious discomfort, appearing to mouth the word "hamstring" to the physio as he sat on the turf.

Germany boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed afterwards that the 27-year-old had suffered a muscular issue, ruling him out of his side's next Nations League fixture against Greece on Sunday.

Back to London for assessment

According to David Ornstein, Havertz will now return to Arsenal to be assessed by the club's medical staff, with the early belief that the problem is a minor one.

Ornstein is as reliable as it gets in this space, so the cautious optimism is worth noting. That said, Havertz's hamstring history is impossible to ignore.

In February 2025, the German suffered a serious tear during Arsenal's warm-weather training camp in Dubai — an injury that required surgery and kept him out for an extended period. Any mention of the word "hamstring" in connection with him inevitably carries extra weight as a result.

Havertz had only been scheduled to feature in two of Germany's four Nations League games in any case, with Klopp splitting his squad into two groups across the fixtures.

An extended break that could work in his favour

The one piece of context that works in Arsenal's direction is the length of this international window. With the extended Interlull stretching across the next 10 to 12 days, a minor muscular issue would leave Havertz a reasonable runway to recover without missing club football.

The scans and the club's assessment will determine that. Until then, it remains a wait-and-see situation.

Havertz is not the only Arsenal player whose international plans have been disrupted this month either. Declan Rice withdrew from the England squad earlier in the window, and Mikel Arteta will be keen for the rest of his internationals to return without further problems.

Arsenal's medical department will get their first proper look at Havertz once he lands back in London, and the outcome of that assessment will shape whether this becomes a footnote to the international break or something more significant for Arteta's attacking options.