Mikel Arteta reveals Riccardo Calafiori injury update and return as Arsenal defender misses Liverpool clash

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Arsenal’s injury concerns have brought about some late fitness tests heading into the clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

The Gunners were guaranteed to be without William Saliba – who picked up a red card against Bournemouth last time out and with it, got given a one-match suspension.

With Martin Odegaard, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu all guaranteed to be out, there were further problems for Mikel Arteta to focus on.

Bukayo Saka was a doubt after suffering a hamstring problem away on international duty with England, while Jurrien Timber has also been out of action.

While, fortunately, both were able to make the clash at the Emirates Stadium, there is a fresh problem for Arsenal.

Riccardo Calafiori picked up a knee issue in the win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in midweek, bringing some fresh concerns.

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Riccardo Calafiori injury update

With Calafiori suffering an awkward fall in midweek, there were some large doubts over whether the left-sided defender could play against Liverpool.

Those doubts were confirmed by Arteta when he named his team, with the Italian international left out of the squad.

Speaking to Sky Sports in the build-up, the Arsenal boss revealed that Calafiori would be out for a “few weeks”.

That comes as a blow for such a huge game in the Premier League title race, alongside the difficult fixture congestion facing the squad.

As a result, it seemed as though Arteta moved Thomas Partey to right-back with Ben White at centre-back, while the returning Timber featured at left-back.

Whether that will be the plan moving forward for Arsenal remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the injuries and suspensions are impacting them.

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Games that Riccardo Calafiori will miss for Arsenal

With Calafiori set to miss out for a few weeks, there is no certainty on when he will make an exact return to the team.

However, seeing as it’s weeks and not months, there could be a return the other side of the international break.

In the Premier League, there are tough matches against Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea before the two-week break.

They won’t be the best matches to be missing for, with an EFL Cup game against Preston and a Champions League tie with Inter Milan also in the mix.

Once there is a clearer idea on a recovery date for Calafiori, the Gunners may be able to get their squad back to full fitness.