New Delhi: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s list of injured players is mounting up, with the latest addition being Riccardo Calafiori. Arteta later noted that the Italian footballer’s injury during the Gunners’ 1-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League might cause him a little “worry.”
Calafiori, who had joined Arsenal from Bologna this summer for a deal of £42m, needed to be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the 72nd minute during the clash at the Emirtaes stadium and was seen limping off after seemingly having twisted his knee. Arsenal are currently without both their main attacking players Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka with defender Jurrien Timber also out due to injury.
Arteta couldn’t give detailed updates on how major the injury might be or give a timeline for the 22-year-old’s return. As Arsenal take on Liverpool in the coming weekend, the Gunners’ manager noted that Calafiori had felt some kind of discomfort, and it wasn’t “great news” for the club. Arsenal are currently placed third in the Premier League points table.
🔴⚪️ Arteta: “Riccardo Calafiori coming off is a bit of a worry. We will see”.
“Bukayo Saka vs Liverpool? Unlikely… he didn’t train yet since the injury happened”. pic.twitter.com/UoO3FSPs4F
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 22, 2024
The 42-year-old also noted that it was unlikely that Saka would be available to play against Liverpool as he hadn’t resumed training yet. Saka missed Arsenal’s last two games due to a hamstring injury he sustained during his international duty. The 23-year-old winger had to withdraw from England squad after getting injured during the Three Lions loss against Greece.
Calafiori added to Arsenal’s mounting injury list
Calafiori was in fantastic touch after starting at left back against the Ukraine Premier League side and made 42 passes, often from a more tucked-in position. Of course, Arsenal will be missing Calafiori despite having Oleksandr Zinchenko and the young Lewis-Skelly. The absence of big players in the squad means their midfield will be more vulnerable against Liverpool.
As Arsenal take on the challenge of playing seven games in 23 days across competitions, Arteta will need to find ways to balance a squad with many players who have just served their international duty. In fact, Arteta noted that their loss to Bournemouth was due to the heavy travelling that many players undertook.
Still, Arteta exerted confidence that his team would perform well during the team’s Premier League clash on Sunday. Arsenal need their performances to remain consistent amidst injuries and suspensions. In the Premier League this season, Arsenal have played with just ten-man on three occasions, and that will be something Arteta mentioned the team needs to overcome as well.
