Arteta confirms Calafiori 'issue' after Madueke switch in Everton win
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori may have picked up a knock in the closing stages of Arsenal's 2-0 Premier League win over Everton, with Noni Madueke dropping into left back as the Italian shifted to left wing late on.
Asked directly about the switch after the match, Arteta played down the severity but did not rule out a problem entirely. "Yeah I wasn't that mad to change those two from their positions," he said. "It was because he had a slight issue, we don't know what it is, it seems to be something very small, but he was cautious about it."
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Gabriel plays on through the pain barrier
Calafiori was not the only defensive concern during the win. Gabriel appeared to hurt himself at one stage but continued and went on to score Arsenal's second goal of the afternoon.
Arteta praised the centre back's reaction, pointing to it as a symbol of the squad's mentality. "Gabi is a great example of that because we were all scared," he said. "Not because of the way he went down, but the reaction of the players that were next to him. Immediately he says that he wants to continue and then he scores a goal to help us win the game. That's what we need from our players."
A demanding week navigated successfully
Arteta was keen to stress the context of the victory, coming on the back of a congested fixture list. "We're very happy with the victory, with the performance and with the week, because we were given a terrible schedule," he said. "Sunday afternoon, then Wednesday night in Munich, coming here really late on Thursday and having to play again in the Premier League against a really tough opponent on Saturday at 3pm. We have overcome every hurdle, on top of some injuries, and I love the mentality of the team and the quality that we've shown today."
Arteta also made five changes to his starting line up without seeing any drop in intensity, something he described as encouraging for squad depth going forward. "That's great and that is going to for sure make me do it again," he said. "We have unbelievable players with the right mentality. The preparation is right. So when you need them, they are ready."
On the goalscorer Ezri Konsa, who has quickly settled into the side alongside Gabriel, Arteta added that the pair have built a rapid understanding despite Konsa missing pre season training with the club. William Saliba remains unavailable, with Arteta confirming, "William is not fit and we are desperate to have him back because we know what he offers."
Arsenal will assess Calafiori in the coming days as attention turns to the next fixture, with his involvement likely to depend on how the issue responds over the coming sessions.
