Arsenal Injury Woes Deepen as Calafiori Pulls Out of FA Cup Clash

Riccardo Calafiori withdraws from Arsenal’s FA Cup match during warm-up, forcing a reshuffle and raising defensive injury concerns.

Arsenal faced another injury setback as Riccardo Calafiori was forced to withdraw from the Wigan FA Cup game during the warm-up at the Emirates Stadium. The late debacle forced Mikel Arteta into an immediate reshuffle before the FA Cup fourth-round tie, intensifying concerns over Arsenal’s defensive stability at a crucial stage of the season.

Calafiori had been set to start at left-back, but discomfort in the pre-match routine ruled him out. Bukayo Saka moved into the starting XI to plug the gap, while Myles Lewis-Skelly shifted across the back line to maintain balance. The adjustment underlined Arsenal’s growing reliance on squad flexibility as injuries continue to disrupt selection plans.

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Despite the disruption, Arsenal delivered a ruthless performance, sweeping Wigan aside with a 4-0 victory to book a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2020. A dominant first-half display settled the tie early, but the convincing result failed to fully mask the growing concern around defensive fitness.

Arteta confirms growing injury list

Post-match, Arteta confirmed that Calafiori and Ben White were the two main injury doubts following the game. White was withdrawn during the second half after feeling discomfort, adding another defensive concern to an already stretched unit.

The manager admitted the situation would require close monitoring over the following days, especially with a congested fixture schedule approaching. He also stressed the importance of getting players back to full fitness as quickly as possible.

Calafiori’s latest setback continues a frustrating pattern. The 23-year-old defender missed most of January with a muscle injury and has struggled to build rhythm this year, managing only a small number of starts.

His stop-start season has limited his tactical integration into Arteta’s system, preventing consistency and continuity in Arsenal’s defensive structure.

Defensive depth under pressure

Arsenal now face mounting pressure on their defensive depth. With rotation already necessary due to workload management, every new injury tightens selection options.

The situation becomes more delicate with key fixtures approaching across domestic and European competitions. Stability at the back will prove essential as margins tighten in the title race and knockout competitions.

Arsenal now await further assessment results to determine the severity of Calafiori’s issue. The club hopes the injury proves minor, but the timing highlights how fragile squad balance becomes during decisive phases of the season.

If absences persist, Arteta will need to rely even more heavily on tactical adaptability and squad depth. Arsenal remain competitive on multiple fronts, but fitness management is quickly becoming one of the defining challenges of their campaign.

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