It all started during a Premier League clash between Chelsea and Newcastle in March 2022. Burn suffered a serious head injury and needed stitches after being caught by Havertz’s elbow. The Blues went on to win the game 1-0, with the German forward scoring a late winner for his then-employers.
Later that year, though, Newcastle got their revenge as they beat Chelsea 1-0. At full-time, tempers flared between the two set of players and Havertz and Burn were involved in a particularly feisty altercation. Burn, though later clarified: “It was the emotion of the game wasn’t it?. Me and Kai had a few run-ins before and it’s just part and parcel of the game. It can get the better of you at the times. But when you are in that environment and clinging on in stoppage time and wanting to win the game, these things happen.”
The feud lasted more than three years but now Burn has confirmed that all is good between the two players after they caught up for a ‘few drinks’ during pre-season in Singapore.
The 33-year-old told FourFourTwo: “He’s actually, frustratingly enough, quite a nice guy. I had a drink with him and he’s actually sound. I saw him in pre-season when we played in Singapore. We had time where we could go and have a few drinks, and we saw some of the Arsenal lads. I just got chatting to him. We both said to each other, ‘That’s just the way it is when we play’, we’ve just got to be at that sort of level.”
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Havertz has not played for Arsenal since picking up a knee injury in a training session following their season opener against Manchester United. The German forward subsequently underwent surgery, but no firm return date has been set yet, and his recovery could take longer than expected after a setback in his rehabilitation.
In October, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had provided the latest on the forward’s condition as he told reporters: “With Kai, we know that it will be months with him. I don’t know if it can be weeks, you never know because this is Kai and he’s a different specimen. We really miss him. Hopefully, he will be back, and back for the long term as well, so it is very important to look after that knee. So far, he’s progressing pretty well.”
However, during the November international break, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann gave a worrying update as he said: “Kai (Havertz) had a minor relapse, but overall he’s doing well. Jamal no longer has any major problems. But like Kai, he first needs to get back into rhythm with his club. They have until March to get fully fit, but they obviously need to stabilise now.”
Burn has made it to all five England squads that were named in 2025 since Thomas Tuchel took charge of the team as head coach. The Magpies defender clearly has the backing of the German coach, who has regularly played him in World Cup qualifiers. If the defender can maintain his consistency in the second half of the season and remain injury free, he is seemingly almost certain to get a call-up to Tuchel’s World Cup squad that will travel to North America next summer. Burn will be next seen in action on Saturday for Eddie Howe’s side as they take on Burnley at home in the Premier League.
