Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has been declared fit to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday evening, despite a recent scare that saw him withdraw from the FA Cup clash against Wigan Athletic just before kick-off. The Italian full-back's availability comes as a relief to the Gunners, who have been grappling with an unusual spate of warm-up injuries this season.
Recurring Warm-Up Issues Plague Arsenal's Campaign
Calafiori's late withdrawal against Wigan marked the fourth instance this season where an Arsenal player has sustained an injury during pre-match preparations. Previously, William Saliba twisted his ankle before the Liverpool fixture in September, Bukayo Saka had to pull out ahead of the Leeds United match in January, and Calafiori himself suffered a similar issue prior to the Brighton & Hove Albion game in December.
Arteta's Concerns Over Pre-Match Setbacks
Manager Mikel Arteta has openly expressed his worry about these recurring incidents, acknowledging that they could potentially derail Arsenal's pursuit of the Premier League title. "Yeah, big time," Arteta stated when questioned about the impact of these injuries. "They were very different. The first one was with Willy when he rolled his ankle against Liverpool. Then we had two incidents with Ricky in the warm-up in a really similar way. The other one was with Bukayo after he stayed in midweek and didn't play against Kairat Almaty and then against Leeds he had that incident. Very unusual."
Arteta highlighted the rarity of such occurrences, noting that in his six-year tenure at the club, similar incidents had only happened once or twice before this season's four cases. "It's probably happened once or twice I think in six years I've been here, and (now) it's happened four times. So obviously we are looking into it," he added.
Adapting to Last-Minute Changes
The Spanish manager detailed the challenges posed by these unexpected changes, particularly the limited time available to adjust tactics. "I'm more aware of it. We're in the office and the moment I hear my door and someone is stepping in I'm like 'no, please'. Because it's a moment that is very tricky, because when you change Ricky for Bukayo you have to change a lot of things within the gameplan. There's a lot of things that are different and you have two minutes to do that."
Arteta emphasized the need for increased preparedness, saying, "You have to be 'what if, what if' and there are more and more what ifs just before the game and then a lot during the game. So you just need to be more prepared."
Additional Team News Ahead of Wolves Fixture
In further positive news for Arsenal, defender Ben White, who was substituted during the 4-0 victory over Wigan, is also expected to be available for the trip to Molineux. Arteta clarified that White's issue was minor, attributing it to fatigue. "It was just a bit of fatigue," he explained. "He did a lot in the game and by the end he was feeling a bit of tightness in the hamstring, but he's fine."
Odegaard and Havertz Likely to Miss Wolves Clash
However, Arsenal will likely be without captain Martin Odegaard and forward Kai Havertz for the Wolves encounter. Both players are targeting a return for the crucial North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. "For Wolves (Odegaard) is not going to be fit, but for Sunday we are very hopeful that he can be with us," Arteta confirmed. "Kai is the other one, but again for the weekend he's a possibility, so we are looking forward to having him in the squad."
As Arsenal prepare for their midweek fixture, the focus remains on overcoming these persistent warm-up issues while maintaining their competitive edge in the title race. The availability of key players like Calafiori provides a significant boost as they aim to secure vital points against Wolves.
