Mikel Arteta has revealed Arsenal summer signing Riccardo Calafiori was ‘a bit emotional’ after he suffered an injury scare in the 4-2 win over Leicester City.
Calafiori, who joined Arsenal in a £42m deal from Bologna over the summer, was handed his second Premier League start on Saturday for the visit of newly-promoted Leicester.
The Italian defender played every minute at the Emirates Stadium but looked in discomfort as Arsenal celebrated their second goal and then landed awkwardly after competing for a header late on.
Calafiori was seen clutching his left knee and was then pictured wearing a knee support as he left the stadium following the 4-2 win, which was sealed by two injury-time goals.
Reports from foreign outlets even claimed Calafiori was in tears in the dressing room as he initially feared the worst, having suffered a serious injury to the same knee back in 2018 which sidelined him for almost a year.
Arteta admits Calafiori was ’emotional’ after the win but has suggested the problem is not serious by claiming he and Ben White – who missed the Leicester match – are ‘in contention’ to face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
‘Those are the two players that are in contention,’ Arteta said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash with PSG.
‘We have to review them today. We didn’t run a training sessions yesterday. Obviously he [Calafiori] was a bit emotional after the game and let’s see how he is today.’
Asked what has impressed him about Calafiori since his summer move to north London, Arteta added: ‘How willing he is.
‘The moment I spoke to him, he made it clear he wanted to come here. He felt he was going to be a perfect fit here and he was.
‘He always has a smile on his face, he is likable. Plus he is a fighter who will do everything he can for the team. He has all those qualities.’
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.