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Arteta pleased with Havertz return and squad depth

By on January 12, 2026

Arsenal Kai Havertz Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta has shared his satisfaction after seeing Kai Havertz return to the Arsenal squad following a long spell out injured.

The German midfielder had been unavailable since suffering a serious injury against Manchester United on the opening day of the season. His absence was a major blow at the time.

After months of recovery and hard work behind the scenes, Havertz finally made his return during Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup.

The match offered Arteta a chance to rotate heavily, while also giving minutes to players who needed game time after busy weeks.

Havertz was among those who featured, marking an important step in his return to full fitness ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.

Arteta welcomes Havertz and academy moment

Speaking after the game, Arteta highlighted several positives from the night, starting with progression to the next round of the competition.

He also praised Havertz for the effort he has put in to get himself back to match fitness after such a long lay-off.

Alongside Havertz, academy graduate Marli Salmon was given his chance, making his debut in the FA Cup and catching attention.

Arteta was clearly pleased to see youth and experience come together on the pitch during a game that tested the squad in different ways.

“We had some really positive things today, obviously winning the match and being in the next round – Kai after so many months and all the effort that he’s put in to be back fit and looking like he’s done, Marli as well making his debut in the FA Cup, and a lot of players making minutes that they need as well.“

The Arsenal boss stressed that minutes were important for several players, especially with key games approaching in domestic competitions.

Heavy rotation brings early test

Arteta made ten changes to his starting line-up against Portsmouth, a decision that brought some early challenges.

An early goal for Portsmouth gave them momentum and made the opening stages uncomfortable for the visitors.

Arteta explained that so many changes naturally affected the team’s flow and understanding early on.

“When we make that many changes there is an element of cohesion that is not going to be as perfect as we want. We started the game exactly how we didn’t want to, giving them momentum and an early goal and hope, and then we had to fight it back, and credit to them because they made it difficult for us especially in the early stages of the game. The more we started to do the simple thing right, and be a little more dominant, then the quality took over“

As the match went on, Arsenal began to settle, focusing on simple passes and stronger control in midfield areas.

That calm approach allowed their quality to show, leading to goals and a comfortable finish by full time.

Attention now turns to the Carabao Cup, with Arsenal set to face Chelsea in the semi-finals on 14 January.