Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly plotting a brand-new role for fan favourite Kai Havertz ahead of their north London derby clash against Tottenham, and the tactical tweak will also impact deadline day summer signing Raheem Sterling.
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The north Londoners go into this all-important match against Spurs off the back of their first dropped points of the new Premier League campaign, with Brighton holding Arteta's side to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
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Joao Pedro's second-half strike cancelled out a stunning lobbed finish from Havertz, but the game also had disastrous consequences for star midfielder Declan Rice, who was perhaps unfairly sent off for two bookable offences against the Seagulls.
Rice will now miss Arsenal's trip to Tottenham, with summer signing Mikel Merino also sidelined for nearly two months after fracturing his shoulder in training at London Colney.
Tottenham (away)
September 15
Man City (away)
September 22
Leicester City (home)
September 28
Southampton (home)
October 5
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Merino could be their fourth potential absentee, as both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are also very unlikely to feature in Arsenal's next game, with no return date confirmed yet for the pair.
Rice and Merino's absence in particular will leave Arteta pretty short in midfield, but there is some good news, as Sterling could well make his Arsenal debut against Spurs following his arrival at the eleventh hour on deadline day.
The 29-year-old, who worked under Arteta at Man City, is a proven Premier League player who boasts plenty of both goals and assists from stints at every high-profile English club he's been with.
Sterling also possesses big-game and trophy-winning experience, which will be invaluable for Arteta, as he seeks to make it third-time-lucky and finally beat his old mentor Pep Guardiola to a domestic league crown.
Arteta plotting new Havertz role which will impact Sterling at Arsenal
The Chelsea loanee, according to GiveMeSport this week, is set to have a big say on Arsenal's starting eleven and tactical plans for their face-off against Spurs.
It is believed that Arteta is planning to drop Havertz deeper and play Sterling in a false-nine role against Tottenham, as both Merino and Rice's unavailibility requires the Gunners to make significant changes in that area of the park.
The tactical gamble would remove Havertz from a position where he has been starring for Arsenal since he signed from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, with the German already scoring two goals and registering an assist in their opening three matches.
"He’s so intelligent; he ghosts through," said Arsenal legend Martin Keown on the 25-year-old's displays lately.
"As a centre-half, you want someone to mark, but when he keeps disappearing into midfield all the time you get a bit nervous, and suddenly he’s there with two or three other players, so he can be really effective and that’s working for Arsenal."