Arsenal got some surprisingly good news about Riccardo Calafiori’s injury after he was taken off with a knee problem during the Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Mikel Arteta already has a lot of fitness worries, and now there are a lot of questions about Calafiori.
Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber didn’t play in Tuesday night’s win, and club captain Martin Odegaard was also not there because he hurt his ankle.After that three-game absence and the new worry about Calafiori, Arteta gave a quick update on injuries after the Shakhtar match.
“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.
“Additionally, initial hands-on testing looked to be negative and he had no issues with his gait. When he came back on and then went back down, he was touching on the medial/inner aspect of that right knee. This could mean something or the physio could’ve told him to go down if he felt anything (which isn’t uncommon).
“No limp while walking off. The club will get imaging (MRI) to see full extent but early indications will be how that knee responds post-match, tonight and tomorrow morning (swelling, pain, dysfunction). For now, it’s wait and see.” As it is such an unknown, it is unlikely Calafiori will be risked unless the scan comes back completely clear and he is able to train before the weekend.