Havertz recovery offers hope for Champions League run – Arteta

 Mikel Arteta has revealed Arsenal forward Kai Havertz could return from injury before the end of the season to boost the Gunners’ bid for Champions League glory.

 Havertz suffered a hamstring injury during the club's training camp in Dubai in February, and it was anticipated that he would be out for the remainder of the season. The Germany international required surgery, but he was seen in videos on social media this week accelerating his rehabilitation, giving hope that he could return in time for a Champions League final appearance. Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarter-final first leg on Tuesday as they aim to win the tournament for the first time.

 Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Brentford, Gunners boss Arteta offered welcome news about Havertz’s recovery timetable.

 “Hopefully we can have him back before the end of season,” he told reporters on Friday.

 “Let’s see.  Every injury is different. Great work ethic, desperate to get back playing as quick as possible – and a great medical staff as well to look after them.

 "Once you get to the final stage of that rehabilitation, you can better understand how close or far you are from taking that next step." That would be a massive boost for Arsenal, who have been forced to use Spain midfielder Mikel Merino as a striker in the absence of Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

 Havertz, who scored Chelsea’s Champions League final winner in 2021, has netted 17 times in all competitions this season.

 Despite criticism of the 25-year-old’s finishing, he has the experience and quality to provide a huge lift if he can return in time for the closing weeks of the season.

 After achieving one of the greatest victories in the club's illustrious history against Real, Arsenal is already riding high. “There has been an unbelievable energy around the place.  It was a very special night.  That is over, and now Brentford is our sole focus, as this is a game that will require our best effort,” Arteta stated. Biggest stages With the second leg in Madrid looming on Wednesday, Arteta refused to reveal if he would rest several of his stars against Brentford.

 "Simple normalcy. This is our context, play every three days and playing in different competitions on the biggest stages.  Playing in Europe then coming back and facing a different challenge in the Premier League,” he said.

 “If you want to become a team that has the capacity to win in any of those then you have to do it every three days, regardless of the scenario.”

 Declan Rice was Arsenal’s hero against Real with two blistering free-kicks in the second half.

 Prior to his first goal against Real, the England midfielder had never scored from a free kick. However, Arteta is hoping to add a regular goal-scoring threat to the defensive midfielder's performances. “That is something we discuss a lot.  He said, "He has all the qualities, and the different ways he can create moments in and around the box, whether it's by crossing the ball or scoring goals." “He can run into the box, he can eliminate people by dribbling, he has a long-range shot.  We are working with him to get him to the point where he can decide a game using various tools.