Expert gives verdict on Riccardo Calafiori injury during Arsenal win amid ACL fears Calafiori was forced off during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Shakhtar

A sports injury specialist has shared insights on Riccardo Calafiori following a suspected knee injury he sustained during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

With this win at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal has accumulated seven points from nine in the Champions League group stages. However, concerns arose when Calafiori experienced a knee issue midway through the second half.

He tried to continue playing but ultimately had to be substituted for Myles Lewis-Skelly. After footage of the incident circulated on social media, Arsenal supporters became worried that Calafiori might have sustained a severe knee injury due to the way his leg twisted upon impact with the ground.

Now, injury analyst Physio Scout has weighed in on the possible diagnosis for the Arsenal left-back. While fans feared he might have an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, the analyst suggests that the knee movement is more consistent with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.

The post also mentions, “The physio performed a valgus stress test to assess the MCL. While scans are needed for a definitive diagnosis, we can hope it’s just a minor to moderate MCL sprain.”

If Calafiori has indeed incurred a Grade 3 MCL injury, he could be sidelined for up to 10 weeks. Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta will be anxiously monitoring Calafiori’s condition ahead of this weekend’s match against Liverpool, which he is now likely to miss.

William Saliba will also be unavailable due to suspension, and fellow defenders Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu are currently injured. Oleksandr Zinchenko could step in at left-back, but he was an unused substitute in the Shakhtar game, having just returned from a calf issue that kept him out since mid-September.