Mikel Arteta breaks silence after Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba Arsenal blows

Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba have each suffered "very unusual" warm-up injuries with Arsenal this season, with Mikel Arteta insisting that the club are "looking into" matters

Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal are investigating a spate of warm-up injuries that have affected Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba in recent months.

The Gunners were compelled to make an eleventh-hour change on Sunday when Calafiori sustained an injury before Arsenal's FA Cup tie against Wigan Athletic. It marked the second occasion this season that the Italian centre-back has withdrawn from a match during the pre-match warm-up, having previously encountered a problem before December's Premier League encounter with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Additionally, Saliba suffered a twisted ankle prior to August's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, with Cristhian Mosquera coming on as his replacement just five minutes into the match. Towards the end of January, Saka was seen hobbling off the pitch before Arsenal's fixture against Leeds United, with Noni Madueke taking his place as the 4-0 victory at Elland Road commenced.

Arteta has now confirmed that the club are examining the unusual pattern of pre-match injuries. During his press conference on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of Arsenal's meeting with Wolves, the head coach said: "The first time was William at Liverpool, two with Riccardo and then Bukayo at Leeds.

"Very unusual. Probably happen once or twice in six years. We are looking into it."

When questioned about whether there might be a need to alter the pre-match preparation routine, Arteta added: "No, and when I was a player as well, you like your routine. At half-time we sit for 15 minutes and then go full gas so maybe it is something we need to look at."

During the same press conference, Arteta provided an encouraging update regarding Calafiori's condition, revealing the defender could be available for Arsenal's fixture against Wolves. He said: "He's fine. He was training with us today, he's feeling better and hopefully he's fit for tomorrow."

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Ben White may also be in contention for the match, despite appearing to sustain a problem in the closing stages of Arsenal's 4-0 victory over Wigan. Arteta explained: "It was just a bit of fatigue, he did a lot in the game, and was feeling a bit of tightness."

It comes as the Gunners prepare to resume their Premier League campaign on Wednesday, facing rock-bottom Wolves at Molineux.

The two clubs find themselves in starkly different situations - Arsenal are pursuing their first league title in over 20 years, while Wolves face almost inevitable relegation.

Rob Edwards' side have collected just nine points from a solitary victory and six stalemates across 26 fixtures, leaving them 18 points adrift of safety. The Gunners, by contrast, sit top of the Premier League table on 57 points, holding a four-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City as they pursue a commanding conclusion to their remaining 12 games.

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