Liverpool head to Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend and the Gunners now have a fresh injury concern ahead of a massive game.
The Reds won 2-1 at home to Chelsea in their most recent league outing last Sunday, not necessarily always being at their best but getting the job done in professional fashion.
It was a significant victory in the title race, especially after Manchester City’s last-gasp win at Wolves earlier in the day, but the biggest result of the weekend arguably came on Saturday.
Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth was not only a huge blow for the north Londoners in the title battle, but William Saliba’s red card also meany he picked up a three-match suspension.
Mikel Arteta’s men also had to make do without influential injured pair Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka away to the Cherries, and now there is a new concern leading up to the Liverpool game.
Left-back Riccardo Calafiori was forced off with a knee issue during Arsenal’s 1-0 win at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with Arteta providing an update after the match, saying:
“I don’t know the extent of it, so in that sense not great news. He wasn’t able to train yet so that’s unlikely.”
Our thoughts on Calafiori’s potential absence against Liverpool…
Over the past couple of seasons, it has felt as though Arsenal have been fortunate in the injury department, invariably being able to name their strongest team, barring the odd sporadic key absentee, such as Saliba towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Fitness issues are now starting to affect them, however, and Calafiori’s likely absence against Liverpool on Sunday gives Arteta another selection headache.
It could mean Oleksandr Zinchenko starting at left-back in place of the Italian, which given the way Mohamed Salah gave him huge problems at Anfield last season, skinning him and scoring in the 2-2, could bode well for the Reds.
Jurrien Timber is also an injury doubt for the game, with the Dutchman a stronger defensive option than Zinchenko, and it remains to be seen if Odegaard or Saka will be available.
With Saliba out, too, Liverpool need to be ruthless this weekend, knowing that a priceless victory would put them seven points ahead of Arsenal, dealing their rivals’ title hopes an enormous blow in the process.
