Arsenal have little time to settle after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton, with Fleetwood Town next in the Carabao Cup and Liverpool waiting at Anfield on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s side have won three league matches in a row since the international break, moving level on points with Manchester City. Yet the victory brought another serious concern.
Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt for Tuesday after Arteta confirmed the defender had a minor issue. The Italian had started Arsenal’s first seven Premier League games, then played 90 minutes in Munich before coming off the bench against Everton. He spent the closing stages in attack, with Noni Madueke dropping into defence, and went straight down the tunnel at full-time. Arteta said the problem appeared “very small”, but the club had not identified it fully. The Standardreported that Calafiori could also struggle to make Liverpool.
Bukayo Saka presents a more significant concern for Arsenal’s attacking options. The winger suffered a quad injury during the 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern Munich, and Arteta expects him to miss weeks rather than days.
Arsenal also have concerns elsewhere in the squad. Christos Tzolis is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained with Greece. Arteta said the forward would miss a few weeks, although he could return for Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Piero Hincapié has rejoined the matchday squad after an ankle problem, offering another defensive option. William Saliba continues his recovery from a back injury and has resumed individual work on the grass.
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Saka’s absence removes Arsenal’s main right-sided threat, while Calafiori’s fitness matters because his movement helps the team build through the left channel. Against Fleetwood, Arteta can rotate, protect key players and give younger squad members minutes. Moving Madueke into defence may solve a short-term problem, but it takes a natural attacker away from the front line.
Arsenal’s win over Everton showed that set pieces and centre-back goals can carry the side through difficult spells. However, they cannot replace Saka’s chance creation every week. With Saliba unavailable and Tzolis not yet ready, Arteta must keep the team compact at Anfield and avoid turning one defensive doubt into a wider reshuffle.
