Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori’s suspected knee injury is "not great news" for Arsenal as they prepare for a pivotal Premier League match against Liverpool this Sunday. This concern follows Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk, during which Calafiori had to leave the field in the second half after an awkward fall.
The left-back, who was replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly, adds to Arsenal’s extensive list of injuries ahead of their crucial clash with the league leaders. “He had to come off because he felt something," Arteta stated regarding Calafiori’s condition. "I don’t know the extent of it, so in that sense, not great news."
In addition to Calafiori’s potential absence, Arsenal will also miss William Saliba due to suspension from a recent red card against Bournemouth. Jurrien Timber has been sidelined for several weeks with an injury, and defensive stalwarts Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are also unavailable because of long-term injuries. This leaves Arteta with limited options for the upcoming match if both Calafiori and Timber do not recover in time.
Martin Odegaard remains on the injury list, and Bukayo Saka’s status is uncertain after missing the last two matches due to a hamstring issue sustained while with the national team. Arteta expressed doubts about Saka’s availability, stating, "I don’t know; he wasn’t able to train yet, so that’s unlikely."
Ben White was substituted at half-time against Shakhtar to prevent a potential second yellow card after receiving a booking, a move Arteta justified to maintain squad strength.
Looking ahead, Arteta acknowledged the fatigue of his squad following their recent matches but is optimistic about their performance against Liverpool: "We played two nights ago with players coming from internationals, and I was expecting a bit of a drop-off. But we have now four days. Believe me, come Sunday we’ll be flying."
Upcoming fixtures for Arsenal include:
- Liverpool (H) – Premier League – Sunday, October 27
- Preston North End (A) – Carabao Cup – Wednesday, October 30
- Newcastle United (A) – Premier League – Saturday, November 2
- Inter Milan (A) – UEFA Champions League – Wednesday, November 6
- Chelsea (A) – Premier League – Sunday, November 10
- Nottingham Forest (H) – Premier League – Saturday, November 23
- Sporting Lisbon (A) – UEFA Champions League – Tuesday, November 26
- West Ham United (A) – Premier League – Saturday, November 30
