Arthurs‘ Fears Grow as Calafiori Injures Himself in Win Over Shakhtar Donetsk
Londons, England – Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday, but their manager had a growing sense of unease as the game progressed. Riccardo Calafiori, one of the Gunners‘ key players, had to leave the pitch in the 72nd minute with an injury, leaving Arteta uncertain about the defender’s availability for the weekend.
The win was made possible thanks to a penalty miss from Dmytro Riznyk, which gave Arsenal the victory, but it was a labored performance from the team as a whole. The visitors were forced to ride out a series of attacks, with goalkeeper David Raya required to make some crucial saves to secure the win.
"We don’t know the extent of the injury, but Riccy has felt something and can’t continue," Arteta said in his post-match press conference. "I’m a bit concerned. I think he had to be substituted because of that. So, no great news."
In addition to Calafiori’s injury, Arsenal will also have to do without Bukayo Saka, who is still out with an oblique strain, and William Saliba, who was sent off against Bournemouth on the weekend. Arteta is unsure if Saka will be available for the weekend, saying, "He couldn’t train, so it’s unlikely."
Despite the challenges, Arteta was pleased with the result, saying, "Very happy with the result. In the Champions League, it’s always difficult. We could have scored more goals in the first half and in the second half, I felt a bit tired. Playing 60 minutes with 10 men is difficult. We left the game a bit open, but we have three points."
The win is the Gunners‘ third consecutive clean sheet in the Champions League, a feat last achieved in November 2007 under Arsene Wenger. While it was not a dominant performance, Arteta is pleased with his team’s resilience, saying, "We’ll take the victory, and we’ll move on to the next game."
