"They are out": Arteta now confirms £55m Arsenal duo are unavailable vs Liverpool
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the club will be without two defensive stars for Thursday’s Premier League clash against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have a healthy five-point lead at the top of the table, and can extend the gap to eight points with a victory over the Reds. Ahead of the game, Arteta has confirmed a couple of key absentees.
Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera have been sidelined with injuries in recent matches, and the manager revealed that ‘they are out’ again and won’t face Arne Slot’s side.
However, the Spanish tactician added that the duo are entering the last phase of their rehabilitation, and could be available for selection very soon, he told Arsenal.com:
“They are out again. I think [they’ll return] pretty soon, they have to go to the last stage of the rehab. If everything goes well, hopefully very soon they will be available for selection.”
Calafiori, who was signed for £42 million from Bologna in the summer of 2024, was almost ever-present from the left-back role for the Gunners in the league this season before his injury.
His absence has been felt. Piero Hincapie may not have Calafiori’s attacking traits, but he has been solid defensively and has particularly impressed with his ability to win regular duels.
Mosquera, on the other hand, won’t be a big miss, given the Gunners are back to full strength in central defence with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes fully fit and firing.
The £13m signing had a good outing at Anfield last time around. The Spanish ace came on as a very early substitute for Saliba and largely showed good composure on the ball.
Aside from the defensive duo, wonderkid Max Dowman is the only other absentee. The 16-year-old has been ruled out until the start of February due to an ankle injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
Kai Havertz was left out of the squad against Bournemouth due to workload management, and the manager has confirmed that he is available to face the Reds tomorrow.
The German could make his first appearance since suffering a knee injury against Manchester United at Old Trafford in August.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
The post "They are out": Arteta now confirms £55m Arsenal duo are unavailable vs Liverpool first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.