Gyokeres handed Arsenal chance after Havertz injury on international duty

Viktor Gyokeres faces a fresh chance to establish himself at Arsenal after Kai Havertz was reported to have suffered an injury while on international duty. The Sweden striker, signed from Sporting in 2025 in a deal that could rise to £64 million ($85m), has yet to score in the opening phase of 2026-27 but returns from the break after four goals in four appearances for his country.

Key takeaways

• Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title in 2025-26, with Gyokeres contributing 20 goals during the campaign.
• Havertz has begun the new season with three goals while operating as a centre-forward in Mikel Arteta’s preferred fluid attack.
• Gyokeres has often been used from the bench despite Arsenal’s run to last season’s Champions League final.
• Paul Dickov believes Gyokeres can be particularly dangerous if his international form gives him confidence and motivation to reclaim a starting role.
• Arsenal are not expected to buy another striker simply to satisfy calls for a conventional No.9.

Havertz has become Arteta’s preferred central option

Arsenal’s search for a reliable focal point has remained a theme even after their title-winning season. The club have previously turned to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel Jesus, while Gyokeres arrived from Sporting with a reputation as one of Europe’s most productive forwards.

Yet Havertz has taken the central role at the start of the current campaign. The Germany international is more naturally a withdrawn forward than a traditional penalty-box striker, but his ability to protect possession, move intelligently and create space for those around him has suited Arteta’s approach.

Arsenal generally build patiently rather than sending early direct passes towards a conventional target man. That has made Havertz an effective connector for attackers such as Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, while captain Martin Odegaard has again been central to the team’s creative work.

Dickov said his initial view was that Arsenal needed a specialist goalscorer, but accepted that the team’s progress complicates that argument. Gyokeres reached 20 goals last term, Arsenal won the league and also reached the Champions League final, having come close to domestic success in the preceding season.

The former Arsenal forward said Havertz’s physical strength, hold-up play and movement make him highly valuable in the role, particularly in a system designed to bring the runners and creators around him into dangerous positions.

Gyokeres’ opening and the longer-term striker question

If Havertz’s reported international injury keeps him out, Gyokeres could have an immediate route back into Arteta’s side. His four goals across four Sweden matches have provided a timely lift after a scoreless start at club level, and Dickov believes a striker returning with confidence and something to prove can be a formidable proposition.

Arsenal were particularly effective from set-pieces while securing the 2025-26 Premier League crown, but their early performances this season have brought greater success in open play. Havertz’s three goals have helped that improvement, although the absence of a goal from Gyokeres leaves the competition for the central role unresolved.

Questions will persist over whether Arsenal eventually seek another elite No.9. Julian Alvarez, the Argentine World Cup winner, has been mentioned as a possible option after becoming frustrated with a substitute role in Spain following his attempt to secure a summer move.

Dickov’s view is that Arsenal should not recruit merely because a striker is available or because outside pressure demands one. He argued that proven forwards of the level of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane or Alexander Isak are scarce, and that Arteta will wait for the right player rather than commit a fee anywhere from £20 million to £100 million simply to add a recognised centre-forward.

For now, Havertz remains a major part of Arsenal’s plans when fit, while Gyokeres has an opportunity to turn his Sweden form into a stronger claim for regular minutes at Emirates Stadium.