New Riccardo Calafiori Arsenal injury verdict as doctor update offers hope to Mikel Arteta

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.

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.

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.

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"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.