AFCON 2025
Arsenal’s injury woes are mounting after Riccardo Calafiori limped off during their 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, dealing a blow to Mikel Arteta’s plans.
Calafiori’s visible discomfort, seemingly due to a knee injury, marred an otherwise straightforward victory secured by Dmytro Riznyk’s own goal.
The left-back joined Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Jurrien Timber on the sidelines, casting doubt on their availability for Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta provided a less positive update after the game: “He had to come off because he felt something. I don’t know the extent of it, so in that sense, not great news.”
On Bukayo Saka’s potential return to face Liverpool, Arteta said: “He wasn’t able to train yet, so that’s unlikely.”
The Shakhtar manager, Marino Pusic, whose team were denied a late equaliser by a superb David Raya save, was delighted with their performance.
“I told my players I am very proud of how they showed up tonight and what they did,” he said. “You can imagine playing against such a tremendous team is not easy. I think we deserved an equaliser for sure.”
