Arsenal face an anxious wait to learn the extent of Riccardo Calafiori’s injury following their win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Gunners returned to winning ways after losing to Bournemouth however, the performance was far from convincing at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side earned three points in the Champions League thanks to a Dmytro Riznyk own goal, with the Shakhtar goalkeeper also making the headlines for saving Leandro Trossard’s penalty.
In what was a rather uneventful night for Arsenal in North London, one of the main talking points was the fitness of Riccardo Calafiori.
- READ MORE: Five things you missed from Arsenal’s win vs Shakhtar Donetsk, including concerning Liverpool hint
Mikel Arteta shares Arsenal injury update after Riccardo Calafiori blow
Calafiori went down after appearing to jolt his knee in an awkward position during the second half.
Despite his best efforts to play on, the defender signalled to the bench that he would have to be replaced, something that Arteta has confirmed is a ‘worry’ ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool.
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video after the game, the manager shared a brief update on Calafiori’s injury.
“I don’t know, he felt something. He could not continue playing, so it’s a bit of a worry.”
Added to Arteta’s early concern, journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that Arsenal’s staff are ‘already assessing’ the 22-year-old’s knee after heading straight down the tunnel following his substitution.
Naturally, there is some worry as Calafiori spent an extensive amount of time on the sidelines during the 2018/19 campaign due to an ACL injury, with an expert now sharing some insight into the blow.
Injury expert shares early Calafiori verdict
Taking to X after the game, injury analyst Physio Scout shared their insight into the mechanism and possible outcome of Calafiori’s injury.
It was noticed that the defender suffered ‘more of a slide injury rather than a direction change’ action, which is said to be ‘more indicative of an MCL’ injury as opposed to a dreaded ACL blow.
The analyst also noted that the Arsenal physio was seen performing a ‘valgus stress test’ which tests ‘the structure of the MCL’.
Three potential recovery times for a MCL injury were provided however, it was stressed that scans and further assessment is necessary to confirm the severity.
Potential Recovery Times:
- Grade 1: 1-2 weeks
- Grade 2: 3-6 weeks
- Grade 3: 6-10 weeks
For now, it’s another waiting game on the injury front for Arsenal, who will be hoping for Calafiori’s omission to stand for nothing more than a precaution.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
