Kai Havertz Fitness Crucial For Arsenal As Arteta Emphasises Availability

Arsenal enter the EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge relying heavily on Kai Havertz, whose fitness has become a key issue for Mikel Arteta after several injury setbacks ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with former club Chelsea.

Arteta views Havertz as crucial for Arsenal’s attacking balance, yet must limit the forward’s workload. The head coach wants Havertz involved against Chelsea, but recent injuries mean Arsenal cannot risk overloading minutes during a busy schedule across domestic and European competitions.

Havertz returned to action in Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Portsmouth, making a first appearance since the opening Premier League weekend. The forward had damaged a knee against Manchester United in August, then missed a large spell

of the 2024-25 season with a hamstring issue.

That hamstring problem kept the Germany international out of key Champions League fixtures against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal felt the absence in attack, while Havertz had to rebuild rhythm and conditioning after spending significant time away from full training and competitive matches.

Arteta described the impact of Havertz’s lay-off and reaction within the squad. "We missed him a lot. A year is a long time in football, but the way he's come back, he looks really fit, really confident," said Arteta on Havertz.

Special feeling. Kai on making his return for The ArsenalArsenal (@Arsenal) January 11, 2026

Arteta highlighted Havertz’s influence beyond goals and assists. "He's such an intelligent player that straight away he's someone who connects with the players really naturally. You can tell how much they love him as well, because every time he was in or around the box, everyone was jumping off their seats on the bench. We are so happy to have him. He's going to help us so much. "

The head coach stressed the need for careful management over the coming weeks. "Now we have to keep him fit. We have to manage his minutes, but he had a good block of 20, 25 minutes the other day. He trained really well today again,and now it's a case of building his robustness and making sure he's available for every game. "

Arsenal Kai Havertz and EFL Cup semi-final history with Chelsea

Havertz now prepares for a notable reunion with Chelsea in the EFL Cup semi-final. Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge for Wednesday’s first leg, with the forward aiming to make a clear impact against the club where Havertz previously spent three seasons.

Arsenal’s wider record at this stage of competitions adds extra context. The club have exited their last four semi-finals in all tournaments, covering the 2020-21 Europa League, the 2021-22 EFL Cup, the 2024-25 EFL Cup and the 2024-25 Champions League.

This tie is the third EFL Cup semi-final meeting between Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea advanced in 1997-98, while Arsenal progressed during the 2017-18 campaign. The matchup also joins three other pairings that have occurred at least three times at this stage of the tournament.

Fixture	Competition stage	Seasons mentioned
Chelsea vs Arsenal	EFL Cup semi-final	1997-98, 2017-18, 2025-26
Arsenal vs Tottenham	EFL Cup semi-final	At least three meetings
Chelsea vs Tottenham	EFL Cup semi-final	At least three meetings
Manchester City vs Manchester United	EFL Cup semi-final	At least three meetings

With Arsenal seeking to halt a run of semi-final exits, Havertz’s fitness and form offer a central storyline, as Arteta balances the need for contribution from the forward against Chelsea with the longer-term aim of keeping Havertz available across every remaining competition.