Concerns for defender Riccardo Calafiori’s injury grow as Arsenal gets ready for their upcoming matchup with Liverpool. Their previous 1-0 Champions League triumph at the Emirates Stadium was overshadowed by a concerning event. Calafiori had to leave the pitch in the second half after suffering an awkward slip that led to hyperextension of his knee.
“With Riccy it was something different,” manager Mikel Arteta stated. “He had to be subbed out because he felt something. I’m not sure how bad it is, but it’s not good news.”
Despite initially attempting to continue after treatment, the Italian international was eventually substituted out. Oleksandr Zinchenko, another left-back was present on the bench but Arteta decided to replace Calafiori with Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Key strikers Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka, as well as defender Jurrien Timber, are currently out for Arsenal due to injury. Currently, Arsenal are placed third in the Premier League.
On BBC Radio 5 Live, Chris Sutton, a former Chelsea forward, discussed the potential impact of Calafiori’s absence when going against Liverpool. He stressed, “The team is under pressure due to injuries. Important players like Saka and Ødegaard are absent for Arsenal.
“It was the way Riccardo Calafiori fell,” Sutton added, speaking about Calafiori’s injury. “You believe something is there when he fell again. He has been outstanding since joining Arsenal, so it is very upsetting.”
Sutton further remarked that losing Calafiori would be a significant setback for Arsenal, stressing that the team needs to find a way to cope with the mounting injury issues. “This weekend, Calafiori’s absence will be a huge setback. “Arsenal must figure out how to slog it out,” he added.
Arsenal is under pressure due to their busy schedule, which includes seven games in 23 days across all competitions. In addition to losing badly to Bournemouth, Arteta’s team didn’t perform well even though they defeated Shakhtar. Despite this, Arteta is certain that his club is ready for the upcoming encounter with Liverpool.
