Arsenal’s casualty list continues to grow, with Ricardo Calafiori being prematurely taken off the field during the win against Shakhtar Donetsk, due to an issue Mikel Arteta has labelled as “not extremely promising”. After a fairly straightforward victory, overshadowed by a first-half own goal by Shakhtar’s goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, the team’s left-back Calafiori left the field in clear pain, seemingly nursing a knee injury.
The Arsenal squad was already missing Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Jurrien Timber, and it looks like none of the trio may return for the imminent showdown against Liverpool in a crucial Premier League game at Emirates Stadium this Sunday. Arteta confirmed that Calafiori had to be substituted as he reported an discomfort, but the extent of the injury remains uncertain. The return of Saka, recovering from a hamstring injury which caused him to skip the last two games, seems doubtful as he hasn’t been able to practice yet.
However, Arteta confirmed that Ben White, who was subbed out at half-time after a shaky first half marked by a booking, did not add to the ongoing injury worries. Arteta explained this strategic move, stating that his decision to replace White was influenced by his early booking and a desire to avoid a subsequent red card situation.
Despite Arsenal dominating much of the game against the Ukrainian title-holders, the team appeared to struggle, failing to convert multiple opportunities and letting a late penalty go to waste through Leandro Trossard. Arteta shared his belief that the game should have been over earlier considering the team’s match control and dominance. He concluded, “The team appeared fatigued”.
Arteta explained that the lethargic performance after the break didn’t come as a shock to him, however, he is confident about his squad’s ability to compete with Liverpool, the current league leaders who are four points ahead of Arsenal.
Regarding to the fact that the match with Bournemouth was played last Saturday, there was quite a short recovery time, added to the recent international break, he admitted a dip in the energy levels could be expected.
He further elaborated that due to the immense amount of effort during initial half of the game, the team fell short on the scoreline. Owing to this, he believed the team had to bear some cost. Nevertheless, he assured that with a four-day break, the team would bounce back full of energy on Sunday’s game.
On the other side, Marino Pusic, manager of Shakhtar, was pleased with his team’s endeavour in regards to an almost successful late equalising attempt that was thwarted by David Raya’s exceptional save. Expressing pride in his team’s performance against a formidable opponent, he asserted that they definitely deserved to level the score.