Mikel Arteta has stated that Arsenal “need to keep Riccardo Calafiori in check” to prevent him from rushing back from injury.
Calafiori has been absent for the Gunners’ last two matches due to a groin problem, which Arteta has now confirmed.
This marks the latest setback for the Italian defender since his summer move to Arsenal from Bologna, a transfer that could eventually reach £42 million.
The 23-year-old first suffered an injury while on international duty with Italy in early September, and followed it up with a knee issue in October. In total, Calafiori has missed nine games due to injury.
The defender was also absent from Tuesday’s training session and remains a doubt for Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League fixture against Monaco on Wednesday.
“We need a cage there because he wants to go out, train and play,” said Arteta. “We need to calm him down because he is so willing.
“It is the way he is, the way he plays. It started with the national team with a kick, then he had the knee issue. After that he lost a lot of things. Because of the injuries he had to play more than we wanted. And then he got the issue in his groin.”
Calafiori’s recent absence has come at a time when Gabriel is also sidelined, further complicating Arsenal’s defensive challenges.
While Arteta had previously been tight-lipped about the Brazilian’s absence, which has kept him out of the last two matches, he has now confirmed that it is due to a muscle issue.
“Big Gabi has not had a muscular injury [before, but] he is playing a lot now, he is travelling, going to Brazil, he is a starter with Brazil,” said Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s injury troubles this season have particularly affected their full-back positions. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are confirmed to be out for Wednesday’s match against Monaco, and they may also be without five additional players.
Calafiori, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Thomas Partey were all absent from Tuesday’s training session. Except for Gabriel, all of them have featured as full-backs at various points this season.
“It depends on two factors, tactical and in relation to what we do, who do we release on the high press and what do they have to do in terms of attack,” said Arteta, when asked about the full-back position in his teams being more physically demanding.
“But certainly at least it is different to playing as a holding midfielder. That is something that is not ideal but we are trying to cope with it.”
Arsenal are particularly light at left-back for their upcoming match against Monaco, with Myles Lewis-Skelly competing with Kieran Tierney for a starting spot.
Lewis-Skelly, who developed as a midfielder in Arsenal’s academy, has featured at left-back for the first team this season. He would have likely had more playing time recently, but Arteta has revealed that a foot infection has hindered his progress.
“I love his personality,” said Arteta. “He’s got a presence on the pitch, that leadership, he’s fearless, he takes the ball, he’s really competitive. I think he can adapt really well to what we want.
“The issue that we had is he had an infection in his foot that [caused] him to miss a few weeks.
“He looks better now, he’s been in training for a week or so and he’s in a good place. He’s a player that can give us a lot.”
