Arsenal are looking to bounce back after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, missing the opportunity to extend their Premier League lead following Manchester City’s defeat at Old Trafford. With back-to-back goalless draws in the league, Mikel Arteta’s side now faces a crucial week, including a Champions League clash against Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Tuesday and a home game against Manchester United on Sunday. While the team has seen some key players return recently, concerns linger over the fitness of star winger Bukayo Saka, alongside updates on Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka was named on the bench for the Nottingham Forest match, with Arteta revealing post-game that the winger has been dealing with a niggle. The manager emphasized the need to protect Saka, who has logged significant minutes this season, stating, “Bukayo had a lot of minutes and he had a niggle before the game so we need to manage our players.” Saka came on as a second-half substitute and nearly won the game with a header that forced a fine save from Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Given Arsenal’s strong position in the Champions League—having secured automatic qualification to the knockout stages with six wins from six—Arteta may opt to rest Saka against Inter to ensure he’s fit for the weekend clash with United. Potential return date: Tuesday, January 20 vs Inter Milan (A) or Sunday, January 25 vs Manchester United (H)
Riccardo Calafiori
Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori has been out of action since sustaining a muscle injury during the warm-up ahead of Arsenal’s win over Brighton just after Christmas. He has missed seven games as a result. Arteta provided an update last week, noting that Calafiori is “progressing” but the exact timeline remains unclear, saying, “He’s progressing but we don’t know. A few weeks probably but we don’t know exactly yet.” This came ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea. Potential return date: Unknown
Piero Hincapie
Piero Hincapie was substituted during Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool on January 8 due to a groin injury. He has since missed matches against Portsmouth, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest. Arteta has been reserved about the recovery timeline, leaving Hincapie’s return uncertain. Potential return date: Unknown