With Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus already sidelined, the last thing Arsenal needed was more injuries in their front line.
Despite sitting second, Arsenal have been found wanting in front of goal plenty of times this season, with their lack of a clinical finisher proving costly in several games.
That has been the difference between Mikel Arteta's side and table-topping Liverpool, who are nine goals and seven points better off with 14 games still to go this season, with Saturday lunchtime's trip to Leicester City next on the agenda.
Bad news for Arsenal after sickening Kai Havertz injury blow
Arteta will have been rocked, then, by the news that Kai Havertz has joined his growing injury list. Saka is still in an 'early stage' of his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, according to the Arsenal boss, while Jesus is out for the rest of the campaign with a knee issue.
Havertz is now expected to miss the rest of the campaign too after suffering a hamstring injury of his own in training.
Havertz picked up the injury during Arsenal's warm-weather training camp in Dubai, which ironically was meant to give the Gunners squad some R&R after a gruelling January schedule.
A scan is said to have suggested that Havertz is unlikely to feature again before the end of the campaign.
A further hamstring injury to Gabriel Martinelli last week leaves Arteta with just Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling as his recognised senior options in the front line alongside 17-year-old prospect Ethan Nwaneri.
Nwaneri, who ranked at no.12 in FourFourTwo's list of the most exciting teenagers to watch this season, has made 23 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals.
The England youth international's most recently strike came in Arsenal's 5-1 win over Manchester City earlier this month.
Arsenal return to Premier League action in Saturday's 12:30pm kick-off away to struggling Leicester, who are two points adrift of safety.
