Injury update on Kai Havertz, Brian Brobbey, Jamal Musiala as concerns emerge over Arsenal, Sunderland, Bayern Munich stars

Premier League champions Arsenal will be swearing over the fitness of Kai Havertz after he was forced off with an injury in Germany’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday night.

Havertz was handed a start up front in Jurgen Klopp’s first starting lineup as the new Germany head coach for the eagerly-anticipated League A Group 1 showdown with Xavi’s Dutch side.

However, the 27-year-old’s night in Amsterdam was cut short on the half-hour mark, after he was caught on his knee by a high challenge for Dutch midfielder Quinten Timber – the brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber.

Havertz was then seen clutching the back of his thigh after receiving on-field treatment and gingerly walking off the pitch, suggesting that he may also be feeling a hamstring issue.

The forward has previously suffered with both knee and hamstring injuries and underwent two surgeries over a seven-month period last year, forcing him to miss significant chunks of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Mikel Arteta will hope that Havertz’s new problem is not a serious one, with Arsenal facing Leeds United in their next Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on October 11.

Havertz has established himself as Arteta’s first-choice centre-forward so far this season, playing ahead of Viktor Gyokeres, and has chipped in with three goals in seven appearances across all competitions.

Havertz, Musiala, Brobbey all sustain injuries on international duty

Havertz is not the only Germany star in the treatment room, as Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala was forced to pull out of Klopp’s starting lineup before kickoff with a thigh issue picked up during the warm-up.

Musiala missed the first half of last season due to a severe left leg fracture, while he has only played the full 90 minutes once in four club appearances for Bayern so far this term.

The 23-year-old, along with Havertz, has now emerged as a major doubt for Germany’s second Nations League fixture at home to Greece on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey lasted just 35 minutes for the Netherlands, as he was taken off with a suspected hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old ran towards the ball before pulling up and signalling to the Dutch medical team that he needed to be substituted.

Brobbey has been a standout performer in the early stages of this season for Sunderland and most recently netted his first Premier League hat-trick in a 5-3 defeat at Manchester City last weekend.

The former Ajax striker is now a doubt for the Netherlands’ next Nations League match away against Serbia on Sunday, while it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for Sunderland's next league fixture at home to Brighton on October 10.

In the absence of Brobbey, the Netherlands were still able to salvage a point against Germany, with Felix Nmecha’s first-half opener cancelled out by a 92nd-minute equaliser from Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo.