Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday and the Gunners could have a nightmare scenario on their hands in the near future
Mikel Arteta could be forced to deal with a selection dilemma in the near future(Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
Arsenal are potentially in danger of having Riccardo Calafiori unavailable for selection in the near future.
The Gunners will be looking to bounce back after dropping points in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side have a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table as they prepare for a midweek round of fixtures in the top flight. Chelsea and Aston Villa are one point further back to complete the top four spots.
Arsenal’s next match will see them host Brentford on Wednesday evening, where they will be determined to return to winning ways.
Calafiori could be in line to start the game at the Emirates Stadium against the Bees, but the Italy international is now walking a disciplinary tightrope.
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It was during the draw with Chelsea that Calafiori picked up a yellow card, which was the fourth caution handed out to the Arsenal defender in the Premier League this season.
If Calafiori was to get another yellow card, it would result in the defender being handed a one-match suspension to be served in the Premier League.
This rule will apply up to and including the 19th Premier League gameweek, meaning Calafiori will have to be mindful of getting booked in their matches against Brentford, Wolves, Everton, Brighton and a double-header against Aston Villa, which will all take place before the end of the month.
Arteta decided to substitute Calafiori in the second half at Stamford Bridge, with Myles Lewis-Skelly replacing the defender at the half-time interval, with the Arsenal boss explaining the reason for the change.
Riccardo Calafiori has picked up four yellow cards in the Premier League this season(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
“We had four players with yellow cards and you could see they were targeting those players to get the game even,” Arteta told Sky Sports after Arsenal’s draw with Chelsea.
“The one at biggest risk was Riccy [Calafiori], that’s what I had to take him out against Estevao or [Pedro] Neto, they could come in and look for him.”
Calafiori has proven himself to be a key player for Arsenal this season, having made 15 appearances across all competitions, including a start in all 13 matches in the Premier League so far.
Given Arteta’s preference to have Calafiori on the pitch in the Premier League this season, having the defender unavailable for suspension would represent a blow for the Gunners in what is expected to be a busy fixture list over the next few weeks.
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