Riccardo Calafiori looks set to miss Arsenal's Premier League showdown with Liverpool after sustaining a minor knee injury in the midweek Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. The versatile 22-year-old Italian defender went to ground after falling awkwardly and while he initially tried to soldier on, he was unable to continue and was swiftly substituted. Calafiori underwent scans on Wednesday and while Arsenal are yet to comment on his fitness, sources close to the player have told Mirror Football that the £42million summer signing is expected to be sidelined for "several weeks" with the problem.
There is understood to be small damage to his medial collateral ligament in his right knee, though crucially, he has avoided serious injury.
Sources also claim there is a sense of relief amongst all parties as there had been fears Calafiori could have potentially been facing a lengthy lay-off. Mikel Arteta said after the former Bologna man limped off against Shakhtar: "He had to come off because he felt something. I don't know the extent of it, so in that sense it's not great news." The blow comes at the worst possible time for Arsenal as they gear up for their Premier League title clash with Arne Slot's early season pace-setters on Sunday with depleted numbers, particularly at the back. Centre-back William Saliba is suspended following last weekend's red card at Bournemouth while Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber are facing a race against the clock to prove their fitness.
There is optimism Saka will feature after missing the past two matches due to a muscle injury sustained on international duty with England during the 2-1 defeat against Greece. Speaking on Tuesday night, Arteta claimed it would be "unlikely" that Saka is ready to face Liverpool as he is yet to have trained. But there is hope the England international winger will be ready for the contest following a notable period of rest. The match is also expected to come too soon for Martin Odegaard as he continues to step up his recovery from an ankle injury sustained during the September international break with Norway. Arteta publicly backed his side to deliver the goods against Liverpool this weekend, stating: "We have four days [to recover]. We’ll review what we have to do, we have a day off and then two days to prepare for the game. We are more than comfortable that we’ll be in a great place. Believe me, on Sunday we will be flying."