Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hopeful Kai Havertz will be available for Sunday’s trip to Chelsea after the German sustained a “big cut” during their Champions League loss against Inter Milan.
Havertz collided with Inter defender Yann Aurel Bisseck during the second half of the 1-0 defeat and received treatment on the pitch before being withdrawn while bleeding.
“Kai, he has a big cut,” Arteta said. “He had to come off because he needed some stitches. Hopefully, he will be OK for the weekend.”
Arteta, meanwhile, confirmed that Mikel Merino had to be substituted at half-time after Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer connected with the Spaniard’s head while attempting to punch the ball in the 28th minute.
“No, he was not concussed,” Arteta added on Merino. “Yesterday and today he was already not feeling great and when I looked at that I decided to take him off because I need him 100 per cent.”
Arteta said he was “proud” of the way his players did during the loss at San Siro, with Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty at the end of the first half the difference between the sides. Inter won the penalty after Merino was judged to have handled the ball in the box following a rebound. Arsenal had wanted a penalty for the earlier incident involving Sommer and Merino it was not given.
“I feel we were really harshly done tonight,” Arteta told TNT Sports. “In the sense that it’s obvious — both (penalties).
“Especially if you’re gonna give a penalty in the other box then you have to give another one because he (Sommer) punches him (Merino) in the head.”
On the Merino handball, he added: “There’s nothing you can do, the ball is very close to your body. I don’t know how you can get away from it.
“If you give that one, the other one 100 per cent has to be a penalty.”
(Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
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