Havertz sent back to Arsenal for tests as Gyokeres finds net

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Kai Havertz's international break has been cut short after the Germany forward limped out of Thursday's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, leaving Mikel Arteta waiting on news of his condition.

The German Football Association confirmed Havertz has suffered a "muscle strain" and will miss the upcoming Nations League double-header against Greece and the showdown with Serbia on October 1.

According to Standard Sport, Havertz has returned to Arsenal to undergo further tests with the club's medical staff, with optimism that the issue is not a long-term one.

Until the results are in, though, Arteta faces a nervous wait. Havertz has been one of the most important figures in the Arsenal attack this season, and any absence would be felt with the trip to face Leeds on October 10 waiting on the other side of the break.

Gyokeres offers a reminder

The timing of Viktor Gyokeres' latest contribution for Sweden is notable. Roughly 24 hours after Havertz's injury scare, the Swede struck what proved to be the winner in his country's Nations League meeting with Romania.

Gyokeres is still yet to open his account for Arsenal this season, going without a goal in five appearances across all competitions. But recent history suggests time away with Sweden has a habit of resetting him.

Back in March, Gyokeres scored the goals that sent Sweden to the World Cup, including a hat-trick in a play-off semi-final against Ukraine that drew glowing praise from opposition head coach Serhiy Rebrov.

"I believed in my team throughout the match," Rebrov said. "We did everything we could and had chances to score, but their early goal hurt us, just as it did in the second half. We finished the match well, but it wasn't enough."

He added: "Viktor Gyokeres made the difference tonight. He showed his quality and proved he's one of the best strikers in Europe."

A bigger role with Sweden

What followed that international break was the most productive spell of Gyokeres' Arsenal career to date — five goals in his next eight matches as Arteta's side clinched the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final.

He should get plenty of opportunity to build on the Romania goal, too. With Alexander Isak withdrawing from the Sweden squad, Gyokeres is set for a more prominent role in the fixtures against Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania across the remainder of the extended break.

For Arsenal, the two storylines are linked. If Havertz is facing any spell on the sidelines, the burden of leading the line falls squarely on the Swede, and a productive fortnight in national colours would sharpen him for the run of fixtures that follows.

The results of Havertz's tests at London Colney will determine how urgent that becomes.