Riccardo Calafiori looked set to miss Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool, but Mikel Arteta has refused to rule him out of contention.
Calafiori was withdrawn in Arsenal’s victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, and it was reported in Italy that he could end up missing the next two weeks of action.
The defender missed training alongside Jurrien Timber ahead of the Liverpool game, and all indications pointed to Calafiori not recovering in time.
However, Arteta has now hinted that Calafiori could still play a part, in what would be a huge boost for their tough test against the Premier League leaders.
Mikel Arteta hints at Riccardo Calafiori involvement vs Liverpool
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta revealed that Calafiori will face more tests, but refused to rule him out of contention completely.
“We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain,” Arteta stated over Calafiori, Bukayo Saka and Timber.
“He needs some more tests. Yesterday he had some, today he’s going to have some more,” he added on Calafiori.
“From there, we will know, because last time as well, we thought it [his injury] was really bad and he ended up playing two days after. Let’s see how it is.”
“Last time that happened, this time might be different.”
Could Riccardo Calafiori feature in Arsenal vs Liverpool?
Having Calafiori back would be a very welcome surprise for Arsenal against Liverpool, given the expectation that he will miss the game.
Arteta has been coy over injuries in the past, and Calafiori has had some lucky escapes when it has come to long-term problems after a few scares since his arrival.
If he can make that game, Calafiori could prove decisive against Mohamed Salah at left-back, compared to other options in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior, with doubts over both when it comes to their defensive ability out wide.
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