Kai Havertz is missing Germany’s game against Peru tomorrow night after picking up the flu.
It sounds like a pretty minor illness, but precautionary measure will probably mean he doesn’t train much this week, and he must be a doubt for Saturday’s Chelsea game against Aston Villa, especially if the club are extra careful about keeping him away from the group until recovered.
If Graham Potter keeps his successful formation from the last few weeks with Raheem Sterling leading the line in a 343 shape with two players supporting him, that means Havertz is likely to be replaced by either Noni Madueke or Mykhailo Mudryk, the two January signings currently struggling for minutes.
There are other alternatives of course – we could see Carney Chukwuemeka or Conor Gallagher deployed there as a more central option. Or perhaps Sterling drops wide and Christian Pulisic comes in to lead the line.
It’s an open ended problem for Graham Potter, and the solution he chooses will tell us a lot about his plans.
