Arsenal injury update: Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie latest news, Suspension list and return dates for Inter Milan Champions League clash…

Arsenal injury update: Latest news on Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, and Piero Hincapie, along with their return dates.

Details on the suspension list and return dates for the Inter Milan Champions League match…

The Gunners face a new fitness issue ahead of a crucial week.

Arsenal needs to quickly regain focus after their disappointment against Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners missed the opportunity to take advantage of Manchester City’s loss at Old Trafford, as they were held to a 0-0 draw at the City Ground on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s team had the chance to increase their lead at the top to nine points, but now they have recorded back-to-back goalless draws in the Premier League.

Arsenal has received a boost with the return of several key players in recent weeks, but Arteta is facing a significant fitness concern regarding Bukayo Saka ahead of two important matches this week.

The Gunners will face Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by a match against a revitalized Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Here’s the latest on Arsenal’s injury situation and potential return dates…

Bukayo Saka

Saka began the match on the bench against Nottingham Forest, and Arteta disclosed after the game that the winger has been dealing with a fitness issue.

This poses a potential concern for Arsenal as they approach a critical week, with Arteta mentioning that Saka “had a niggle.”

Last week, Arteta expressed his desire to “protect” Saka to ensure he performs at his best, emphasizing that Arsenal “must be very smart” with their key player.

Bukayo Saka has been facing a fitness challenge.

Saka did come on as a substitute in the second half at the City Ground and nearly clinched three points when his header forced Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels into a remarkable save.

After the Forest match, Arteta commented: “Bukayo had a lot of minutes and he had a niggle before the game, so we need to manage our players.”

With Arsenal having secured automatic qualification to the Champions League knockout stage after winning all six of their matches in Europe, it is uncertain whether they will choose to rest Saka in preparation for a significant match against Manchester United this weekend.

Potential return date: Tuesday, January 20 vs Inter Milan (A) or Sunday, January 25 vs Manchester United (H)

Riccardo Calafiori

Riccardo Calafiori has been out of action since he experienced an issue during the warm-up prior to the victory over Brighton shortly after Christmas.

The left-back has now been absent for seven matches due to a muscle injury.

Arteta mentioned last week that Calafiori was “progressing” and expressed hope that he would return “soon”.

Riccardo Calafiori has now missed seven games

However, it remains uncertain when Calafiori will be back.

In comments made before the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea last week, Arteta stated: “He’s progressing but we don’t know. A few weeks probably but we don’t know exactly yet.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Piero Hincapie

Piero Hincapie had to leave the field during the 0-0 draw with Liverpool on January 8.

It has been reported that Hincapie sustained a groin injury, causing him to miss matches against Portsmouth, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest.

The timeline for Hincapie’s return is unclear, as Arteta has been tight-lipped regarding his recovery.

Potential return date: Unknown

Max Dowman

Max Dowman has been sidelined since he suffered an ankle ligament injury in a closed-door match against Manchester United before Christmas.

The 16-year-old is expected to be out for two months and has been excluded from Arsenal’s Champions League squad as a consequence.

Arteta recently confirmed that Dowman is still “a few weeks away”.

Potential return date: Late February