New Delhi: Mikel Arteta’s injury list has kept growing this season despite being in the second place of the Premier League table. With an attack now in tatters, Arteta feels that Riccardo Calafiori could be used as a forward. The Italian international had come to the side last summer and with Myles Lewis-Skelly in great form and himself suffering an injury setback, Calafiori is yet to shine at the Emirates.
Calafiori had previously shown capability as a goal-scoring defender at the start of the campaign. The Gunners failed to make any purchase in the winter transfer window having lost Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus earlier to injury. Further making things complicated for Arsenal has been Gabriel Martinelli ruled out for a month and Kai Havertz tore his hamstring which will see him out of the competition until the end of the season.
🔴⚪️👀 Arteta: “Involving defenders at striker position has already happened before, it’s an option for us”.
Involving Calafiori as a striker? “It’s an option”. pic.twitter.com/hDuD9TfSrF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 15, 2025
Arsenal at the moment have only three attackers including Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri. Despite Kieran Tierney and Mikel Merino at first being speculated, it is Calafiori who has been considered as the striker by Arteta starting on the bench in the game against Leicester City.
Arteta noted before the game that it had been done previously and could be seen in the front three. Arteta felt that against “low blocks” these players have the quality to be threatening options. Calafiori’s goal against Manchester City in September had given a glimpse of his prowess at the front of the field.
Arteta revealed that even William Saliba had offered his services to play in the front to help the side’s attacking crisis. Saliba had started his career as a forward, before dropping to the centre-back as a teenager and has since played in the position since.
With just three attackers left in Arsenal’s lineup amidst growing injury list, Mikel Arteta has said that Riccardo Calafiori could be placed in the front three as the striker. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
