Kai Havertz hamstring scare leads Premier League break injury list
Arsenal have a new injury worry after Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring injury playing for Germany against the Netherlands. The game was Germany's opener in the Nations League, UEFA's tournament for national teams, during the October 2026 international break.
Havertz, 27, left Jurgen Klopp's Germany squad after the injury. He returned to Arsenal for assessment and treatment, and there is optimism that the suspected hamstring problem is not serious, according to The Athletic.
Arsenal sent 17 players away for this break. That is a heavy load. Declan Rice and Cole Palmer were both absent from the October internationals for reasons described as 'load management', the planned resting of players to control minutes, according to The Guardian.
England still thrived without them. England beat Croatia 7-0 in the Nations League. Ezri Konsa withdrew from the England squad on the Monday of the break.
There was also a scare for Martin Odegaard. His X-ray showed 'nothing dramatic' after a challenge from Portugal's Bernardo Silva while playing for Norway, according to the Norwegian camp. Youngster Max Dowman left the field after a heavy tackle playing for England Under-19s.
Other Premier League clubs felt the break too. Sunderland reported strains for Brian Brobbey with the Netherlands and Dan Ballard with Northern Ireland. Bournemouth's Alex Scott was ruled out for up to two months with a quadriceps injury sustained on England duty. Christos Tzolis injured a hamstring playing for Greece against the Netherlands.
Two other recent cases show why clubs hold their breath. Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu suffered an injury on Denmark duty and returned to United for assessment after limping directly down the tunnel, with Reims attacker Mohamed Daramy coming on to replace him, according to ESPN. Liverpool's Alexander Isak returned after a minor injury on Sweden duty, having scored and played the full 90 minutes before leaving the camp.
Isak's case brings extra caution. He appeared in only 22 matches during the 2025-26 campaign after suffering a leg fracture requiring surgery.
What makes this stand out is the shared tension. For fans, this means an anxious wait for scan results before club football returns.
