Arteta has been in good form since his return, but says he needs to better manage Havertz's playing time.

2026-01-14 01:46

Arsenal will travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the first leg of the 2025/26 EFL Cup semi-final. Manager Mikel Arteta stated that while Kai Havertz, who recently returned to the pitch, is in good form, managing the German midfielder's playing time is still crucial.

With an own goal and a hat-trick from Martinelli, Arsenal defeated Portsmouth 4-1 in the earlier FA Cup third round, securing a victory to send them off to the FA Cup semi-finals.

Regarding the squad's condition, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, "Incapie and Calafiori are currently unavailable due to muscle injuries. Calafiori's recovery is progressing well, but we cannot determine the exact timeframe yet. I think it may take a few more weeks, but it's hard to say right now."

“Max Doman’s situation is very similar to Moskra’s; the types of injuries are similar, and the recovery time is about the same. They are both recovering well, but they have not yet participated in training, so it will still be a few weeks before they return to the court.”

In addition, Arsenal midfielder Kai Havertz, who had been sidelined with an injury for a long time, came on as a substitute in the previous match against Portsmouth.

Arteta said, "Of course we miss him very much. A year is a long time in football, but as you can see, he looks great after his return. He's strong and confident. He's a very intelligent player, and he can naturally connect with his teammates as soon as he gets back on the pitch."

“Next, we need to manage his playing time properly. He played 20 to 25 minutes in the last game, which was a good start. He was also in very good form in training today. Now the key is to gradually improve his physical strength and ensure that he can remain available in every game.”