Riccardo Calafiori Injury Latest After He Suffered Knee Scare in Leicester City Thriller
Arsenal’s injury woes continue as they might face another blow following their 4-2 victory over Leicester City on Saturday. Despite the thrilling comeback secured by two injury-time goals, concerns now turn to the fitness of one of Mikel Arteta’s summer signings, Riccardo Calafiori.
The Italian left-back appeared to suffer a knee injury during the closing moments of the match, following a clash with Leicester substitute Odsonne Edouard. New footage shows Calafiori winning an aerial duel but landing awkwardly, seemingly jarring his knee upon hitting the ground. In the footage, he can be seen flicking out his leg, as though trying to shake off a twinge from the impact. The moment raised alarm, and now Arsenal’s medical staff are left with yet another injury to assess.
Some reports suggest that Calafiori may have also aggravated the injury during the team’s celebrations after Leandro Trossard netted Arsenal’s fourth goal to secure the dramatic victory. While the full extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed, there are growing concerns over how serious the issue could be.
Mikel Arteta, who already has several key players sidelined, will be hoping the injury isn’t long-term. Arsenal’s captain, Martin Odegaard, is currently out, while Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are also recovering from various ailments. Speaking before the match, Arteta provided an update on another summer signing, Mikel Merino, who has yet to make his debut due to a shoulder injury sustained in training.
“[Leicester] is too soon,” Arteta said about Merino’s potential return. “Next week, we’ll see. He had partial training. He’s been working so hard and it’s looking good. It’s about the healing of the bone and how mature that is to expose him to contact.”
With the busy fixture list ahead, the prospect of losing Calafiori, even temporarily, adds to the growing list of absentees for Arsenal. As the Gunners look to maintain their early-season form, Arteta will be hoping his medical staff can work wonders to keep his squad fit.
Riccardo Calafiori Injury Latest After He Suffered Knee Scare in Leicester City Thriller