Mikel Arteta has revealed Arsenal summer signing Riccardo Calafiori was ‘a bit emotional’ after he suffered an injury scare in the 4-2 win over Leicester City.
Calafiori, who joined Arsenal in a £42m deal from Bologna over the summer, was handed his second Premier League start on Saturday for the visit of newly-promoted Leicester.
The Italian defender played every minute at the Emirates Stadium but looked in discomfort as Arsenal celebrated their second goal and then landed awkwardly after competing for a header late on.
Calafiori was seen clutching his left knee and was then pictured wearing a knee support as he left the stadium following the 4-2 win, which was sealed by two injury-time goals.
Reports from foreign outlets even claimed Calafiori was in tears in the dressing room as he initially feared the worst, having suffered a serious injury to the same knee back in 2018 which sidelined him for almost a year.
Arteta admits Calafiori was ’emotional’ after the win but has suggested the problem is not serious by claiming he and Ben White – who missed the Leicester match – are ‘in contention’ to face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
‘Those are the two players that are in contention,’ Arteta said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash with PSG.
‘We have to review them today. We didn’t run a training sessions yesterday. Obviously he [Calafiori] was a bit emotional after the game and let’s see how he is today.’
Asked what has impressed him about Calafiori since his summer move to north London, Arteta added: ‘How willing he is.
‘The moment I spoke to him, he made it clear he wanted to come here. He felt he was going to be a perfect fit here and he was.
‘He always has a smile on his face, he is likable. Plus he is a fighter who will do everything he can for the team. He has all those qualities.’
Arsenal began their Champions League campaign with a goalless draw at Atalanta last week and now turn their attentions to French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
‘We are looking forward to it,’ Arteta said. ‘These are the kind of nights we want to experience against an unbelievable opponent. We are ready for it.
‘We missed it for a number of years and last year was the first where we could do it. The group stage is a bit different this season.
‘The opposition we are facing tomorrow is probably the highest level you can find European football.
‘But it is a great opportunity for us to see how we deal with it and how prepared we are and how we can impose ourselves in this kind of context.’
Arteta also heaped praise on PSG boss Luis Enrique, who has managed Spain and Barcelona as well as the French giants during an impressive managerial career.
‘I am an admirer of him. An unbelievable personality,’ Arteta said. ‘Huge character, huge energy He is very supportive of young players always.
‘What I love about him is whatever he has been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are everywhere. You can sense that that is his team.
‘The way the players behave, the way they want to attack, they want to dominate teams. The spirit and energy they have. He has this unbelievable power.
‘His approach to life and his profession. It is something to really look at and I have learned a lot of things from him.’