Arsenal handed huge suspension blow for Wolves in fresh Mikel Arteta headache

Arsenal have been handed a suspension blow (Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)

Arsenal have been handed a blow for their Premier League match against Wolves with full-back Riccardo Calafiori suspended.

The defender picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during the match vs Aston Villa, meaning that he will now serve a one-match suspension.

He was shown a yellow in the 72nd minute with the scoreline at 1-1. Arsenal would go on to lose the game after a last-minute strike from Emi Buendia.

Calafiori will have to sit out the next Premier League match, with Arsenal hosting bottom side Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, 13 December.

His absence will be a blow for Arsenal with the defender starting every Premier League match so far this season. He scored the winning goal in the opening day victory over Manchester United.

So far this season, his role has seen him push up high in helping the attack. Speaking about the role ahead of the match Mikel Arteta said: "Controlled? That word and Ricky, especially in the attacking phase, it doesn’t match too much.

"But it’s something that we want, you know, because he has this intuition, his capacity to smell danger, to attack spaces that are very difficult for the opponent to defend. And he does it in a way that for him is natural, which is always good. So, yeah, we encourage him to do that."

He added: "In pre-season, last pre-season, we started to say, if you have the feeling and it flows, and things happen naturally and he’s comfortable there, and he’s more comfortable playing there than the midfield line, and he’s very comfortable every time he’s stepping into the position box, and he gets better there, well, we have to use that as his quality."

Arsenal were handed an injury scare over the defender over the last international break, when he returned from duty with Italy.

He was however fit to feature for Arsenal in the North London Derby win over Tottenham when domestic football returned.

The suspension will come as a blow following injury concerns over three other defenders. Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missed the game against Villa due to injury.

It will however be hoped that Saliba could make a comeback in time for the clash against Wolves.