Sawt Falasteen - Arteta relishing challenge despite Arsenal striker crisis

The Germany forward, 25, will miss the rest of the season after being told he needs surgery to repair a hamstring injury that he suffered during a training camp in Dubai.

The second-placed Gunners, who are seven points behind Liverpool with 14 games remaining, are now down to the bare bones in forward areas.

Gabriel Jesus is out for the season and Bukayo Saka has been absent since December, while Gabriel Martinelli also faces a spell on the sidelines.

It leaves the Gunners with only Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri as recognised forward players ahead of Saturday's match against struggling Leicester.

"We were having a great camp in Dubai, recharging, training, having some time off, and connecting again with nature and a different environment, and then the injury (to Havertz) happened in a very unexpected way," Arsenal manager Arteta told reporters on Friday.

"It's a big blow, obviously, because of the injuries that we have."

The Spaniard said despite the lengthy injury list he was relishing the challenge as he chases Arsenal's first Premier League title since 2004.

"Love it and look forward, because we are still where we are... so let's see what the team is made of," he added.

Arteta said injuries were inevitable given the huge demands on footballers.

"It's an accident waiting to happen, you know, if you continue to load and load and load," he added.

"It's the season, it's the accumulation of that, it's the stress of that, it's the luck, it's the preparation, it's the methodology. There are a lot of factors and very difficult to point out as something, but obviously the schedule that is planned is super-demanding."

The Gunners were unable to bring in a striker during the recent transfer window, failing in their bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.

Arteta was asked on Friday whether in hindsight he wished the club had tried harder.

"I would always put it in that situation, that we were an individual away from a very risky situation," he said.

"But when you try your best, and you think that you've done everything that you are capable of, and you have done your homework, and try that and you don't achieve it, you can have regrets, but at least you know that you've done it."

O.Mousa--SF-PST