Arsenal: Mikel Arteta reveals new Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori injury update before Fulham trip | OneFootball

Gunners were without both key defenders for their midweek win over Manchester United

Mikel Arteta is unsure if Arsenal defenders Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori will be fit for Sunday’s clash with Fulham in the Premier League.

Both players missed Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday night due to injury, with neither involved in the squad.

Gabriel has been struggling with an issue that forced him off in both of Arsenal’s games last week against Sporting CP and West Ham.

Arteta said after the win over United that it would have been a “big risk” to have played the Brazilian in that game, but he was more optimistic he could make the trip to Fulham on Sunday.

The Arsenal boss also confirmed that Calafiori was not fit enough to face United. The Italian came off early in the win at West Ham last weekend and had only just returned from a knee injury.

Asked for a new update on the pair on Friday afternoon, ahead of this weekend’s trip to Fulham, Arteta said: “We have a few. It’s match-day minus two, so we have to modify a few players.

“We have another training session tomorrow so we will see how everyone is. Until tomorrow’s training session it’s very difficult to say.”

Uncertain: Mikel Arteta does not yet know if Arsenal defenders Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori will be fit to face Fulham

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

In the absence of Calafiori and Gabriel on Wednesday night, Arteta turned to Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko against United. The pair both enjoyed good games and helped Arsenal keep a clean sheet.

“Big credit to Jakub and Alex [Zinchenko], I think it’s the first start for Jakub after a long time, you have to be thrown against this kind of opposition, this kind of front players,” said Arteta.

“The same with Alex, they did magnificently well so great. We trust them, they prepared so well, they had the opportunity and they grabbed it with both hands so very pleased for the team.

“The way they train every single day and it’s not easy – for Jakub it was his first Premier League start, and it was Alex’s second [this season] after the first game here against Wolves.

“They both performed at the highest level against this kind of opposition, after not playing a lot, is very tough. So, very pleased and grateful for them.”

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