Viktor Gyokeres has offered Arsenal fans and Mikel Arteta a timely reminder of his qualities, at a time where there are concerns over Kai Havertz’s fitness.
Havertz has been forced to withdraw from international duty after limping off during Germany’s 1-1 draw against the Netherlands on Thursday evening.
The German Football Association (DFB) have stated the forward has suffered a “muscle strain”, causing him to miss the upcoming Nations League double-header with Greece and the Serbia showdown on October 1.
As reported by Standard Sport, Havertz has returned to Arsenal to undergo further tests with the club’s medical staff, but there is optimism that he has not suffered a long-term injury.
However, could Gyokeres be returning to form, thus potentially providing a solution ahead of the Leeds game on October 10?
Gyokeres is yet to get off the mark in five appearances across all competitions for Arsenal this season, but he did score what proved to be the winner for Sweden in their Nations League clash with Romania around 24 hours after Havertz suffered an injury scare.
History suggests a good international break is just what Gyokeres needs to rediscover his form. As recently as March, he scored the goals that fired Sweden to the World Cup and was praised by Ukraine head coach Serhiy Rebrov after scoring a play-off semi-final hat-trick.
“I believed in my team throughout the match,” Rebrov said. “We did everything we could and had chances to score, but their early goal hurt us, just as it did in the second half. We finished the match well, but it wasn’t enough.
“Viktor Gyokeres made the difference tonight. He showed his quality and proved he’s one of the best strikers in Europe.”
Gyokeres would return to Arsenal and score five goals in the next eight matches, helping Arteta’s side clinch the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final.
Following the withdrawal of Alexander Isak, Gyokeres is now set for a more prominent role in the Sweden team for the upcoming Nations League matches against Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania over the remainder of the extended international break.
