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Arsenal star in danger of Premier League ban as Mikel Arteta faces nightmare scenario

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is facing the prospect of losing one of his key players to a ban ahead of the busy Christmas period as the title run-in gets into full swing

[Leandro Trossard celebrates scoring the 3rd Arsenal goal with ((L) Gabriel and (2ndL) Riccardo Calafiori during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Leicester City]

Riccardo Calafiori needs to avoid being booked for a fifth time(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal could potentially face the prospect of having Riccardo Calafiori unavailable for selection in the near future.

The Gunners will be keen to bounce back after stumbling to a 1-1 draw with 10-man Chelsea in Sunday's Premier League clash. Mikel Arteta's squad currently hold a five-point lead over Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League standings, as they gear up for a midweek round of top-flight fixtures. Chelsea and Aston Villa trail City just one point, rounding off the top four spots.

Arsenal's next challenge is a home match against Brentford on Wednesday evening, where they'll be eager to get back to their winning ways. Calafiori might be set to start the game at the Emirates Stadium against the Bees, but the Italian international is now treading on thin ice when it comes to disciplinary matters.

[Arsenal remain five points clear at the top of the table]

Arsenal remain five points clear at the top of the table(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

During the stalemate with Chelsea, Calafiori received a yellow card, marking his fourth caution in the Premier League this season.

Should Calafiori pick up another yellow card, he would face a one-match suspension in the Premier League.

This rule remains in effect up to and including the 19th Premier League gameweek, meaning Calafiori will need to tread carefully to avoid bookings in their upcoming matches against Brentford, Wolves, Everton, Brighton and a double-header against Aston Villa, all scheduled before the month's end.

Arteta opted to withdraw Calafiori during the second half at Stamford Bridge, bringing on Myles Lewis-Skelly to replace the defender at the interval, with the Arsenal manager outlining his reasoning behind the substitution.

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"We had four players with yellow cards and you could see they were targeting those players to get the game even," Arteta explained to Sky Sports following Arsenal's stalemate with Chelsea.

"The one at biggest risk was Riccy [Calafiori], that's what I had to take him out against Estevao or [Pedro] Neto, they could come in and look for him."

Calafiori has established himself as a crucial figure for Arsenal this campaign, clocking up 15 outings in all competitions, featuring from the start in every one of the 13 Premier League fixtures to date.

Considering Arteta's reliance on Calafiori in the Premier League this term, losing the defender to suspension would deal a significant setback to the Gunners during what promises to be a hectic period of fixtures in the coming weeks.

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