Mikel Arteta gives the reason why Riccardo Calafiori did not play for Arsenal against Liverpool

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Mikel Arteta has revealed why Riccardo Calafiori didn’t play for Arsenal in last night’s pre-season friendly against Liverpool.

The Gunners finally announced the arrival of the Italian defender earlier this week, with Ian Wright and Edu Gaspar sending messages of support to Calafiori as the 22-year-old centre-back joined up with the Arsenal squad in the United States.

With Jorginho acting as an agent for Arsenal in their bid to sign Calafiori, there is real excitement on what the youngster can bring to the Gunners next season, with the north London side now having arguably the best selection of defenders in the Premier League.

And Arteta has now shared why the defender wasn’t involved in last night’s game against Liverpool.

Arsenal to build Calafiori up slowly before playing him

Speaking to the press after the 2-1 defeat, Arteta revealed that Calafiori is yet to even train with the rest of the Arsenal team, with the defender in no physical shape yet to play in a match for the Gunners.

Having starred for Italy at Euro 2024 after coming off a historic year with Bologna, giving Calafiori time to adjust to his new surroundings is a wise idea from Arteta, who will want his new defender fully for Arsenal for the new season.

And with two Emirates Cup ties coming up next week, Arsenal supporters won’t have to wait long to see Calafiori in action, with the defender likely to feature against Bayer Leverkusen and Olympique Lyonnais.

Arteta said about Calafiori: “We had to manage him. He had a very busy 48 hours before his flight. Then it was the jetlag and he hasn’t trained with the team yet. We want to build him slowly, to get to know him first. We will have plenty of time to see him.”

Calafiori could be the missing piece for Arsenal’s title-winning aspirations

Arsenal’s defence was the best in the Premier League last season, yet most fans would agree that the left-back position could do with a definitive player taking hold of the role and making it their own.

Yet in Calafiori, Arsenal could finally have that player, with the Italian international capable of playing at both left-back and centre-back, with the 22-year-old a real star in the making if Arteta can unlock his potential.

Indeed, Arsenal’s defence could go up a whole new level with Calafiori now in the squad, and the title might now be within grasp if the former Bologna man can hit the ground running with his new team.