Arsenal have been handed a surprisingly positive Riccardo Calafiori injury update after he was taken off with a knee issue during the Champions League win against Shakhtar Donetsk. Mikel Arteta is already dealing with numerous injury concerns and now there is significant doubt surrounding Calafiori.
Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber missed Tuesday evening’s victory with club captain Martin Odegaard again absent because of an ankle injury. Following that triple absence and the new concern over Calafiori, Arteta provided an immediate injury update following the Shakhtar clash.
“I don’t think so [Odegaard fit to play Liverpool]. Martin is frustrated and desperate to return. But hopefully this period will teach him some things that are important in life. With Riccy he had to come off because he felt something. I don’t know the extent of it but it’s not good news.
“At the moment I’m not very hopeful. Let’s see. We still have a few days. He [Saka] wasn’t able to train yet so that’s unlikely [playing vs Liverpool].” Given Arteta’s recent comments on Saka and the fact both he and Timber were absent from open training on Monday, either featuring is unlikely.
Calafiori meanwhile, given how awkwardly he fell, being deemed available just five days later is somewhat hard to imagine. However, Dr. Rajpal Brar, a doctor of physical therapy, has provided some hope when offering his thoughts on the damage Calafiori may have done.
Having analysed the action that led to his injury, he added: “Either MCL or meniscus can be days to weeks to months depending on severity. Based on the angle, I’d be surprised if it’s something major but there’s a lot of grey here.
