Is Riccardo Calafiori injured? Fitness update on Arsenal left-back before trip to Liverpool

Arsenal left-back Riccardo Calafiori was struggling at the end of the Gunners' Premier League game against Everton last weekend after coming on as a substitute.

Calafiori had played in the previous Champions League fixture but started on the bench for the visit of Everton and was subsequently left out of the squad for Arsenal's Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Fleetwood Town.

The Gunners will play Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday and Calafiori's availability will be one of the big question marks ahead of the game.

The Italian full-back had started all seven Premier League matches before being named as a substitute for the Everton game. He came on in the second half at the Emirates Stadium but was unable to get back and defend towards the end.

Explaining the situation before the cup tie at Fleetwood, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta 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."

The 24-year-old appeared to be favouring his hip or the side of his body at the end of the Everton match, heading straight down the tunnel at full time to receive treatment on the minor injury.

Despite Arteta's reassurance that it's a small issue, Calafiori is understood to be a doubt for Sunday's meeting with Liverpool and faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

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If the injury is as minor as it's believed to be, he could be helped in that regard by the fact that Arsenal and Liverpool will play on Sunday rather than Saturday, in a rare example of a single-match Sunday in the Premier League.

Midfielder Declan Rice and winger Noni Madueke are also being monitored after sitting out the Fleetwood trip in midweek, while Max Dowman's suspension after his red card at Highbury Stadium has added to Arteta's injury concerns.

Fellow wingers Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka are both sidelined by injury along with centre-back William Saliba.

Calafiori is sure to be desperate to return to action, not least because of the opportunity to put right a poor record against the Reds.

He missed both home league games against Liverpool in 2024/25 and 2025/26 with injury but featured in both fixtures at Anfield.

Arsenal were beaten there last term with Calafiori in the starting line-up. In May 2025, he came off the bench with 12 minutes remaining in a 2-2 draw on Merseyside.