Arsenal’s head coach, Mikel Arteta, has eased concerns about a potential defensive injury crisis, confirming that both Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White are likely to be fit for the upcoming clash against Wolves.
Calafiori, scheduled to start in Sunday’s FA Cup match against Wigan Athletic, was pulled from the lineup right before kickoff due to an unspecified injury. This last-minute change saw Bukayo Saka stepping in from the bench.
Later in the match, Ben White experienced discomfort and required treatment after struggling in the second half, ultimately leaving the pitch under the care of a physio.
Injuries have plagued both players throughout the season, but Arteta provided an optimistic update. “Calafiori is fine,” Arteta said. “He trained with us today and is feeling better, so we are hopeful he will be ready for tomorrow.”
Regarding White, Arteta explained, “He was just a bit fatigued. He exerted himself significantly during the match, and by the end, he felt some tightness in his hamstring, but he is fine.”
This season has seen Arsenal managing a long injury list, with Sunday being no exception. Key players like Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard are also sidelined, joining others like Max Dowman and Mikel Merino in missing action.
Odegaard is getting closer to a return from his knee issue and may participate in the forthcoming north London derby, but Arteta clarified that Molineux will come too soon for him, as will the match for Havertz.
“He won’t be fit for Wolves, but we are quite optimistic he will join us for Sunday,” Arteta added.
“Havertz is also in the frame for the weekend,” added Arteta.
Arteta acknowledged the club’s ongoing investigation into the recurrent injury issues affecting his squad this season, stating, “Definitely, it’s a concern. The circumstances vary; for instance, Willi (Saliba) sprained his ankle against Liverpool, while we had two similar incidents with Riccardo (Calafiori) in warm-ups.”
He continued, “And then with Bukayo (Saka), he was rested in midweek and didn’t play against Kairat, then returned for Leeds.”
This pattern is unusual for Arsenal; Arteta noted, “In the six years I’ve been here, we’ve experienced similar issues maybe once or twice, yet this season we’ve had four occurrences.”
“We are actively looking into this… it’s crucial that we learn from it.”
