Arsenal injury crisis deepens as star is ruled OUT of starting XI vs Brighton after limping off during warm-up
RICCARDO CALAFIORI suffered an injury in the warm-up against Brighton as Mikel Arteta suffered another blow.
The Arsenal star was due to start at the back in an already-makeshift defence.
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Riccardo Calafiori was replaced in the starting XI after suffering an injury in the warm upCredit: Getty
He picked up the knock before kick-off in the latest Gunners problemCredit: Getty
However, he had to be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Calafiori was initially named in the unusual defence with William Saliba, Piero Hincapie and Declan Rice at right-back.
But the Italian left-back hobbled down the Emirates tunnel early.
He headed off alongside Gunners doctor Flo Newton.
And the problem sustained proved enough to rule Calafiori out, forcing Arteta into a late change to his team.
Arsenal tweeted at 2.46pm, 14 minutes before kick-off: “Myles Lewis-Skelly replaces Riccardo Calafiori in the line-up after the Italian picked up an issue in the warm-up.”
That left Gabriel Magalhaes as the only senior defender on the bench – the Brazilian returning from his own injury picked up on November 15.
Academy kid Marli Salmon – aged just 16 – was promoted to the bench.
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The teenager is able to play at centre-back or right-back.
Elsewhere, fellow defenders Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Jurrien Timber were all ruled out of the Emirates clash through injury.
And Arsenal fans were fearing the worst when the Calafiori news broke.
One said: “Not even waiting until the game starts to get our weekly injury.”
Another wrote: “Can’t I just see arsenal tweets for just a week without seeing an injury update???”
A third added: “This is ridiculous man.”
And a final user typed: “Can’t catch a break.”
Declan Rice started at right-backCredit: Reuters
