As Arsenal resume play after the international break, they’ll do so with a new fitness concern- Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian suffered a knee injury while playing for the national side, and his timeline for return is unknown. Beyond Calafiori, Tuesday night’s London derby comes too soon for Bukayo Saka, who is still recovering from a thigh injury.
The good news is that he’s not too far away.
Fulham at Arsenal FC FYIs
Kickoff Time: 7.45 p.m. GMT, Tues Apr. 1
Location: Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Material: Full Injury Report Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Google Result Probability: Fulham 12% Draw 21% Arsenal 67%
Premier League Standings: Fulham 8th, 45 pts Arsenal 2nd, 58 pts
Team News for Both Sides
‘Yes, he’s got a good chance [of returning in April],” Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said a week ago today.
“He is going to be here [at London Colney], hopefully, more with the ball at his feet than he has had. He’s getting closer; he’s stepping up and making very good progress.”
And of course, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu all remain out until well into the summer preseason.
Shifting across town, good old friend Reiss Nelson is ineligible, as the Arsenal loanee cannot face his parent. Although you might remember long-time Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, back in the day, wishing that rule didn’t exist.
I am actually with him on that. Elsewhere Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson (ankle injury) are set to miss out as well.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.