Mikel Arteta confirmed that Arsenal have suffered an injury blow before hosting Aston Villa
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
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Arsenal will be sweating on the fitness of Riccardo Calafiori ahead of hosting Aston Villa on Tuesday night.
The Italian defender was absent from Mikel Arteta’s side to face Brighton on Saturday after suffering a "very awkward" injury in training.
He had been selected to start against the Seagulls, but then pulled out of the warm-up and headed straight down the tunnel for treatment.
Myles Lewis-Skelly came into the starting line-up to replace Calafiori, who will now be considered a doubt to feature against Villa.
“It's something that he felt yesterday, something very awkward that happened, and today in the warm-up he wasn’t comfortable,” Arteta said.
Jurrien Timber and Ben White also missed Arsenal’s win over Brighton, but Arteta claimed that the injury issues are helping to unite the team.
“Yes, because as well there are injuries with Jurrien, he landed awkwardly and there's something with Richy,” the Gunners boss explained.
“It was something as well, very, very strange and yeah, but you speak to Declan and tell him he needs to play there as a right winger, and he said, ‘Okay, I'm up for a challenge, I'm going to do my best’.”
Villa travel to Arsenal in search of a 12th consecutive victory, which would mark a new club record.
Unai Emery’s side currently sit three points behind the Premier League leaders ahead of their trip to the Emirates.
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