Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after sustaining a knee injury during the club’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. The Italian left-back, who was forced off early in the match, appeared to injure his knee and was treated on the field by medical staff before being substituted.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, expressed concern over the incident, calling it “worrying” during his post-match interview. Despite initial fears, reports from Corriere dello Sport in Italy suggest that Calafiori’s injury is not as severe as first thought, though it will likely keep him out of action for Arsenal’s crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool this Sunday.
Calafiori’s absence adds to Arsenal’s growing injury concerns. Captain Martin Odegaard remains out as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained during international duty in September.
Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka also missed the midweek win over Shakhtar, raising questions about their availability for the Liverpool match. Arteta offered little reassurance on Saka’s condition earlier this week, telling Amazon Prime Video Sport, “I don’t know, sorry. He hasn’t been able to train yet, so it’s unlikely.”
