As Mikel Arteta returned from Dubai, after a trip that was supposed to rejuvenate his squad, the Arsenal manager was poring over various ideas to navigate a proper injury crisis. Arteta’s staff are big on the maths of the pitch, and often run tactics through algorithms. Right now, only a few simple sums matter.
Arsenal did not sign a forward in January. That left an already shallow range of attacking options at risk from injury. Now, the worst has happened. Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline the German for the rest of the season, means three first-choice attackers are out.
