'Real concern' - Arsenal handed fresh £34m injury blow ahead of huge Liverpool fixture

The injury crisis at the Emirates Stadium has gone from bad to worse on Tuesday night as full-back Riccardo Calafiori limped off during the 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

The Gunners have a huge Premier League meeting with top of the table Liverpool on Sunday afternoon and manager Mikel Arteta was already going to be forced into defensive changes for that fixture. Centre-back William Saliba was sent off against AFC Bournemouth last time out and will be banned for the trip to Anfield - the Frenchman did play midweek with the domestic ban not affecting European matches.

Now, it looks as if Arteta will have to make a change at full-back too. Summer signing Calafiori, who arrived in North London from Bologna for around £34 million, has started the last four Premier League matches. The defender appeared to pick up a knee injury against Shakhtar Donetsk and was unable to continue, despite trying to play on following treatment - 18-year-old midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly came on in his place.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers man Chris Sutton said: “I'm not a medical expert but that doesn't look good for Riccardo Calafiori. His right knee, he is put off balance and slips. Then it's awkward the way he goes down. He tweaks his right knee.

“This is a real concern for Arsenal. All the talk of the big game at the weekend. The way Riccardo Calafiori goes down, it looks like he opened his right knee. This is a major blow.”

Saliba and Calafiori aren’t the only injury problems facing Arteta. Winger Bukayo Saka was believed to be a doubt for last Saturday’s game against AFC Bournemouth but ended up missing out on the matchday squad completely.

The England international was absent again midweek, with the problem he picked up during international duty perhaps more persistent than first thought.