MX23RW : Friday, November 8 07:42:33| >> :120:32071:32071:

Arsenal receive Riccardo Calafiori injury update after Italy scare

When is Arsenal defender Calafiori expected to return from injury?
© Imago
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti suggests when he expects Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori to return to action after sustaining an injury on international duty.

Arsenal have seemingly received a positive update on the fitness of defender Riccardo Calafiori.

During the summer transfer window, the Gunners paid in the region of £42m to sign one of Bologna's star men from last season.

The 22-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game, being restricted to substitute outings against Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, Calafiori was included on the left-hand side of a back three on Friday night as Italy recorded a 3-1 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League.

Despite conceding after 13 seconds, the Azzurri fought back to post one of their most notable victories since winning the European Championship three years ago.

Nevertheless, the evening was not a perfect one for Luciano Spalletti and his side after Calafiori was forced off in the 71st minute through injury.

Riccardo Calafiori receives treatment for an injury while representing Italy on September 6, 2024.© Imago

What happened?

When teammate Alessandro Bastoni made a challenge on France winger Ousmane Dembele, Calafiori was brought down in the aftermath and required treatment.

Calafiori was subsequently unable to shake off the contact injury and was replaced by Alessandro Buongiorno for the final 19 minutes of the fixture in Paris.

With Italy facing Israel in their second Nations League fixture on Monday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be curious as to whether his big-money addition of the summer will be fit for that game.

Speaking after Friday's match, Spalletti indicated that Calafiori had avoided a serious injury, saying: "We need to assess Riccardo but with our staff, we've a good chance to have him back with us for the next game."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on August 31, 2024© Imago

Major relief for Arteta

Having seen Jurrien Timber suffer a long-term injury soon after his arrival in 2023, Arteta would have been concerned about deja vu occurring ahead of a busy period.

However, it appears that the Spaniard stands to have Calafiori available for the upcoming games, starting with the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15.

That showdown is followed by fixtures away at Atalanta BC and Manchester City, potentially decisive encounters in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.

Arsenal conclude September with home meetings with Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup and a top-flight clash against Leicester City.

ID:552398:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4260:

Click here for more stories about Riccardo Calafiori

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on August 31, 2024
Read Next:
What are the chances? Arsenal man suffers freak injury on international duty
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Bengals
34-35
Ravens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!