Havertz to miss Germany's World Cup double-header, Voller confirms
Germany will launch their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign without Kai Havertz, who misses next week's games with a knee injury.
Kai Havertz will miss Germany's World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland through injury, DFB national team director Rudi Voller has confirmed.
The Arsenal forward has been absent since sustaining a knee injury during the Gunners' 1-0 victory over Manchester United on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Havertz then missed the 5-0 win over Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium, where Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka both limped off for Mikel Arteta's side.
The 26-year-old, who has not played for Germany since their Nations League clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina last November, was also sidelined between February and mid-May with a hamstring tear.
"He certainly won't make it, he has a knee injury," Voller told German media. "We don't know exactly how it will go in the coming weeks, whether surgery is upcoming or it will be treated conservatively."
Germany launch their World Cup qualifying campaign in Bratislava on September 4, before welcoming Northern Ireland to RheinEnergieStadion three days later.
Julian Nagelsmann's side, who will also face Luxembourg in Group A, are aiming to bounce back from the successive defeats they suffered against Portugal and France in June's Nations League finals.
