Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori is very unlikely to play against Forest due to an injury to his muscle. Mikel Arteta’s team has another golden chance to extend their lead in the Premier League. The Premier League leaders have a huge momentum boost as they have just beaten their city rivals, Chelsea. Although they did it without Calafiori, it’s not going to last like this without the defender, as he is key towards the project. Arsenal’s coach mentioned that the Italian’s presence is highly unlikely, as he is yet to receive a medical green light. It would be interesting to see how the coaching staff and the club’s management assess the player’s injury.
Arsenal are understood to be eager for the defender’s return. Calafiori himself will be determined to get back into contention quickly as he looks to reclaim his place in the starting lineup. However, the club have continued their cautious approach to injury updates. Offering little public detail to avoid unnecessary pressure on the player. During his pre-match press conference ahead of the Nottingham Forest fixture, Arteta declined to provide clarity on how close Calafiori is to a comeback. While this left fans searching for reassurance, an external update has offered a clearer picture. According to Football Italia, Calafiori is not close to regaining full fitness and will definitely not be involved in the match against Forest. This report suggests Arsenal supporters may need to remain patient, as the defender’s recovery is progressing more slowly than hoped. Until he returns, Arsenal will continue to rely on their depth and adaptability while carefully managing Calafiori’s rehabilitation. It’s important to ensure he comes back fully fit and ready to contribute at the highest level. Since breaking into the side, Calafiori has delivered a series of strong performances and has handled competition for his place with maturity and consistency.
Calafiori’s return date for Arsenal after injury
Arsenal’s injury concerns have carried into the New Year, with defender Riccardo Calafiori remaining sidelined and unlikely to return immediately. According to club updates and trusted Arsenal sources. The Italian international was absent from Arsenal’s 3-2 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Saturday as he continues his recovery from an injury sustained late last month. Calafiori picked up the issue during the warm-up ahead of the Gunners’ December 27 clash with Brighton. With manager Mikel Arteta later describing the setback as “very awkward” and confirming the player was not fit enough to feature. Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport has at least revealed the nature of the injury. Claiming Calafiori has a muscle injury. But even they don’t seem to know when the defender might be back. Arsenal has a run of games coming up of varying importance. With a key Premier League clash against reigning champions Liverpool on Thursday followed by an FA Cup third-round tie against lower-league Portsmouth on Sunday. Arteta will presumably go strong in next week’s League Cup semi-final first leg away to Chelsea. After that the Gunners take on 17th-placed Nottingham Forest that weekend.
Mikel Arteta on Calafiori: “He’s progressing. I think it will be a matter of a few weeks, probably, but we don’t know exactly when. It was a muscle injury.” ❌🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/w1abw1nHHN
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) January 13, 2026
Fan’s reaction
The injury updates have relieved the Arsenal fans, as their club has very tight fixtures ahead of them. Declan Rice’s comeback has given them a huge boost, and now they can’t wait for their injured players to come back. Although the players still need some time to come back to their top form. The fans are confident that they can overcome this situation. Social media is full of reports of the player’s return dates.
Author’s insight
From the author’s point of view, the player’s return is very important for the club. With tight fixtures coming up, it won’t be easy for the coach to manage with a key player like Calafiori.
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