Havertz Injury Scare Mars Germany-Netherlands Draw in Nations League

OriginalMatchday Live deskSep 24, 2026 · 20:51 UTC

The short version

Kai Havertz was forced off after 30 minutes following a tackle by Quinten Timber in Germany's match against the Netherlands.
The game finished 1-1, with Felix Nmecha scoring for Germany and Cody Gakpo equalizing in the 92nd minute.
Jürgen Klopp and Xavi each took charge of their first national team games.
Sunderland's Brian Brobbey also left the match early after a collision with Jonathan Tah.

Kai Havertz exited after 30 minutes in Germany's UEFA Nations League opener, which ended 1-1 and marked the coaching debuts of Jürgen Klopp and Xavi.

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz was substituted after 30 minutes of Germany's UEFA Nations League opener against the Netherlands at the Johan Cruijff Arena, raising injury concerns for the Premier League club. Havertz went down following a hard challenge from Quinten Timber, the brother of his Arsenal teammate Jurrien Timber, and was treated by Germany's medical staff before being replaced by Younes Ebnoutalib.

The match carried extra significance as it marked the first games in charge for two high-profile coaches. Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, was taking charge of his first Germany squad, while Xavi was making his debut as head coach of the Netherlands.

Germany took the lead under contentious circumstances. Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey went down after a collision with Jonathan Tah at midfield and immediately signaled to come off, and with play apparently slowing so he could receive attention, the visitors broke forward and scored through Felix Nmecha. The goal sparked a heated confrontation between the two teams. Cody Gakpo equalized for the Netherlands in the 92nd minute to secure a 1-1 draw for Xavi's side.

Klopp will hope Havertz has avoided a serious problem. The 27-year-old, who has 25 goals in 63 caps for Germany, has been a key figure for Arsenal since joining from Chelsea, with 39 goals in 118 appearances in all competitions. He contributed to Arsenal's Premier League title win last season and scored in the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

Klopp named an unusually large squad for the three-week international window, planning for half the roster to play in the opening matches against the Netherlands and Greece, with the remainder facing Serbia and Greece again. He said several players in the camp would surprise observers and that there was enough talent that some had not even been included.

Brobbey's fitness is also in question after his early exit. The 24-year-old earned his call-up on the strength of a strong start to the season, which included a hat-trick against Manchester City at the Etihad.