Riccardo Calafiori Injury: Still feeling discomfort

Calafiori (knee) missed the season finale against Southampton on Sunday as he is still managing his injury and feeling discomfort after returning two to three weeks ahead of schedule. He will be rested for a period to recover and ensure proper preparation and a clear preseason to be fully fit for next season, coach Mikel Arteta said in a press conference. "We pushed Richy a lot to make sure that he was fit for the last few games and he was two, three weeks ahead of schedule in his injury. He's been constantly dragged into areas where he was really, really stretched and he wasn't comfortable the last week or two. With a lot of things, he still wanted to carry on but we decided to give him a break. He needs a rest, he needs to now make sure that he has proper preparation, a clear pre-season and give him the best chance to have a successful season next season."

Calafiori missed the last game of the season against Southampton as it was decided to give him a rest after he felt really stretched and uncomfortable with his knee following an early return from injury two to three weeks ahead of schedule. He ends his first season with the Gunners with 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing two assists. He will look to come back fully fit to have a complete season with Arsenal as he is expected to be one of the key players in the backline.