The national leagues have only just started, but the World Cup qualifiers are already looming large. Kai Havertz will be missing from the DFB team, as confirmed by sporting director Rudi Völler.
Kai Havertz played for 30 minutes in Arsenal’s Premier League opener at Manchester United (1-0), but was then absent from last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Leeds United due to an unspecified knee injury. This appears to be more complicated, as DFB sporting director Rudi Völler has now confirmed that the 26-year-old will miss the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Slovakia on September 4 and against Northern Ireland three days later.
“He definitely won’t make it, he has a knee injury,” Völler said Monday at a media event in Hürtgenwald, adding: “We don’t know exactly how things will progress over the next few weeks. Whether surgery is required or whether it will be treated conservatively.” Havertz played his last international match to date in November 2024 in Hungary (1-1).
If the attacking player is sidelined for a longer period, it would be a major setback for the Gunner, who already missed almost the entire final phase of last season due to a hamstring injury suffered in February. Arsenal have not yet issued an official statement on the injury to the international player (55 caps, 20 goals), so it is difficult to determine exactly how long he will be out of action.
Völler remains calm about T question
National team goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen will definitely be out for longer, and unlike Havertz, he also has a difficult position at his club. But Völler is emphatically calm. “We would do well to give him the chance to come back. He has earned that over many, many years,“ said the 65-year-old, who believes that ”the most important thing for ter Stegen is to get fit again and then play.“
However, Germany would not have to worry if ter Stegen did not play, as they have goalkeepers ”who are also top-class goalkeepers at international level. I saw it at the weekend in Leverkusen. Oliver Baumann delivered an outstanding performance for Hoffenheim. I have no concerns whatsoever. And neither does Julian Nagelsmann.“ However, Völler ruled out a return for Manuel Neuer, as did national coach Julian Nagelsmann recently. That is ”not an issue.”
