Arsenal striker Kai Havertz is nowhere to be seen for Wednesday's Premier League London derby with Brentford due to illness, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.
The Germany international was tipped to start in the number nine role at the Gtech Community Stadium, after scoring the winning goal in the Gunners' 1-0 success over Ipswich Town on December 27 from a midfield position.
The former Chelsea man has recently been deployed in a deeper role to accommodate Gabriel Jesus's inclusion, and he was set to face the Bees on the back of registering six goals and two assists in his last eight Premier League London derbies.
However, Havertz was a surprise omission from the team sheet to face Thomas Frank's side, and it has been confirmed that the 25-year-old is out of contention due to illness.
"Kai wasn't feeling good, a few players were feeling like this, it's normal," Arteta told TNT Sports when asked if the rumours about an illness sweeping through the Arsenal camp were true.
With only three days in between Wednesday's game and the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion to the Emirates on Saturday, Havertz has emerged as an early doubt for that affair, although he should be back in contention for the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final with Newcastle United on January 7.
Ethan Nwaneri makes first Premier League start in Brentford showdown
© Imago
Despite the loss of Havertz, Arteta has not been afraid to rotate his resources for Wednesday's game, making a total of eight changes from the side that defeated the Tractor Boys in their final game of 2024.
The most notable inclusion in the Gunners' lineup is 17-year-old attacker Ethan Nwaneri, who makes his first Premier League start on the right wing in the absence of hamstring victim Bukayo Saka.
Leandro Trossard has made way for the 2007-born winger, who coincidentally makes his full Premier League debut on the same ground where he became the competition's youngest-ever player in September 2022.
Gabriel Martinelli will seemingly move out to the left wing as Nwaneri struts his stuff on the right, and Mikel Merino is the man to benefit from Havertz's absence in the left eight position.
Arteta has also seen fit to axe Declan Rice from the first XI and start Thomas Partey as his midfield anchor, revealing that the Englishman sustained a niggle in the showdown with Ipswich.
In-form left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly is also demoted from the starting lineup, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to return to an otherwise unchanged backline, which protects former Brentford shot-stopper David Raya.
Arsenal will rise back up to second in the Premier League table with a win or a draw at the Gtech Community Stadium, where they have triumphed in their last three fixtures without conceding a single goal.
Ben Knapton
