By OkayGoal 
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori are all available for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, but Kai Havertz will miss the game after the injury he sustained in the 34th minute of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle — a blow softened only by growing optimism that the German forward has avoided anything serious and should feature again this season.
“Eze, Calafiori, and Saka are all available and in the squad for tomorrow’s game against Atletico,” Arteta told reporters on Tuesday, confirming the availability of three players whose fitness had been uncertain going into the week. Eze came off with a knock at St James’ Park alongside Havertz on Saturday, but has recovered in time. Calafiori had missed the Newcastle game entirely, while Saka is continuing his return from the Achilles injury that had kept him out for the opening months of the campaign. Fabrizio Romano confirmed via X that Havertz is definitively out for the Metropolitano fixture.
🚨 Mikel Arteta: “Eze, Calafiori, and Saka are all available and in the squad for tomorrow’s game against Atlético”. pic.twitter.com/27GG4Ak2Lr
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 28, 2026
Kai Havertz injury latest: what Arsenal know so far
The concern around Havertz is real but significantly more manageable than it appeared immediately after the final whistle at Newcastle. He had only recently reclaimed his starting position from summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, and losing him at this stage — with a Champions League semi-final and a title race against Manchester City converging simultaneously — felt catastrophic when the images of him going off in the first half first circulated.
Arteta’s initial post-match assessment described it as a “small niggle,” and The Athletic’s James McNicholas has since reported that initial fears of a serious injury have been entirely alleviated, with Arsenal cautiously optimistic he will play a part in the final weeks of the season. His World Cup involvement this summer is also understood to be in no danger.
The immediate timeline is still unclear. He is expected to miss at least this week, which rules him out of the first leg, but the hope within the club is that he can return in time to contribute to the run-in — whether that is the second leg at the Emirates, the final Premier League fixtures, or both.
🚨❌ Kai Havertz, OUT for Atlético-Arsenal as Mikel Arteta confirms.
Eberechi Eze will be available. ✅ pic.twitter.com/VcigCeIzP2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 28, 2026
What Havertz’s absence means for Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid
Arteta now faces a selection dilemma at centre-forward. Gyokeres is the most obvious option to lead the line but has been deeply disappointing since joining from Coventry in the summer, failing to justify his fee or replicate the form that made him one of the most coveted strikers in Europe twelve months ago. His performance off the bench against Newcastle on Saturday, after replacing the injured Havertz, did little to change the mood around him.
The alternative is to use Eze in a more advanced role with Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli in support — a more fluid arrangement that sacrifices a traditional focal point for movement and interchange. Havertz, by contrast, offers everything in the same position: pressing output, technical quality in tight spaces and the ability to link midfield to attack in a way no other player in Arteta’s current squad replicates. His absence is a significant problem regardless of the squad list announced today. The challenge for Arteta is building a winning game plan around it.
