Riccardo Calafiori went straight down the tunnel at full-time after Arsenal's 2-0 win over Everton, and [Mikel Arteta] said the defender's issue looked small while stopping short of giving a full diagnosis. The left-back had started every league match this season before Arsenal vs Everton, so the concern is real even if the manager tried to keep the tone calm.
Arteta's update on Calafiori
"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," Arteta told Standard after the game. He also said, "Yeah I wasn’t that mad to change those two from their positions." Those two lines point in the same direction. Arsenal did not sound alarmed, but they also did not sound fully certain.
Calafiori only played 22 minutes against Everton, and that is the part that will keep the worry alive until Arsenal say more. He has already made 8 Premier League appearances this season, so this is not about a fringe player getting a routine knock. It is about a defender who had become part of the weekly structure and then left the pitch early.
Arsenal's cover on the left
The late reshuffle also showed how quickly Arsenal are having to juggle their back line while Bukayo Saka is out. Noni Madueke filled in at left-back in the closing stages and stayed involved through eight minutes of stoppage-time. Arteta said he was "very impressed" and added that "to have that variability with him is really necessary."
Madueke's 6.93 rating against Everton and his 2 completed dribbles suggest he was not just filling space, he still offered something on the ball while the team managed the finish. Even so, the headline remains Calafiori's exit down the tunnel and the fact that Arsenal are heading into another fixture with an unanswered fitness question.
Arsenal are away to Fleetwood Town on 2026-10-27, and that is the point where this update will be tested again.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
