Arsenal player suffers MCL injury ahead of Liverpool clash as Mikel Arteta to give update

Riccardo Calafiori has been ruled out of Arsenal’s clash against Liverpool.

According to reports in Italy, the defender is set to spend several weeks on the sidelines. Calafiori limped out of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League earlier this week to add to Mikel Arteta’s woes.

Corriere dello Sport suggests that it is better news than the Gunners may have been braced for, with Calafiori suffering an MCL injury. But he has avoided a serious issue and will not be sidelined for too long. Still, it means that the the Italy international will be unavailable when Liverpool face Arsenal in a huge Premier League title battle at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arteta will provide an injury update at his pre-match press conference on Friday. The Gunners boss will also give the latest on Bukayo Saka, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring issue and captain Martin Odegaard, who has been sidelined for more than a month with ankle ligament damage.

Jurrien Timber is also a doubt while Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are on the sidelines. Key defender William Saliba is also serving a one-match suspension after being sent off in Arsenal’s 2-0 loss at Bournemouth last weekend.