Major update on £42m Arsenal star’s knee injury will have Mikel Arteta smiling ahead of Liverpool clash | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have received a major boost ahead of their clash with Liverpool at the weekend, as it is being reported that the knee injury suffered by Riccardo Calafiori midweek is not as bad as initially feared.

The Italian defender fell awkwardly during the Gunners’ Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday and was taken off minutes later as the centre-back struggled to continue.

Arsenal fans feared that Calafiori would be out of action for an extended period of time, however, it is being reported in Italy that the 22-year-old’s issue is not as bad as initially feared and that he will be back on a football pitch faster than expected.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the Italian international, signed for £42m in the summer, suffered a problem with his medial collateral ligament but will not miss a long period of time.

The report states that Calafiori will miss a few weeks at most and that everything will become clearer once Arteta speaks to the press ahead of the North London club’s clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

This is a major boost for the Spanish coach ahead of the weekend’s game as the defender is a key member of the Arsenal squad.

Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury midweek. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Riccardo Calafiori news is a double boost for Mikel Arteta following Bukayo Saka update

This Calafiori news will act as a double boost for Arteta after it was reported by Football Transfers on Thursday that Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit for Arsenal’s match with Liverpool on Sunday.

The England international is arguably the Gunners’ most important player and his return will give fans of the North London outfit more hope of getting a result off of their fellow Premier League title contenders.

It remains unclear if the winger can play all 90 minutes against the Reds but having him back in any capacity increases their chances of collecting all three points.