Arsenal could be set to for another lengthy season of injury woes after Riccardo Calafiori was forced off during Italy’s victory against France in the Nations League with a major injury scare.
The defender who arrived to the Emirates this summer from Bologna for £42million, suffered a freak blow to his ankle after Ousmane Dembele fell on him, having been tackled by Bastoni.
The 22-year old played just over an hour of the clash at the Parc des Princes but was taken out of the game by medics shortly after the incident with the visitors leading 3-1.
Following scenes that will have worried Mikel Arteta, the full back looked in immense pain while on the floor as his visibly concerned team-mates gathered around him.
However Italy’s head coach Luciano Spalletti has eased concerns over the seriousness of the injury.
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was forced off through injury during Italy’s 3-1 victory over France in the Nations League
The 22-year-old suffered a freak injury after Ousmane Dembele fell on him, having been tackled by Bastoni.
Italy’s head coach Luciano Spalletti has eased concerns over the seriousness of the injury
Spalletti said: ‘We need to assess Riccardo but with our staff, we’ve a good chance to have him back with us for the next game.’
Italy’s next game is this Monday where they will play Israel at the Bozsik Arena in another Nations League game.
Although Spalletti is hopeful Caliofiri will be fit to feature for The Blues on Monday, many Arsenal fans will be hoping he is sidelined for the clash as a precautionary measure.
Arsenal’s next game following the international break is the North London derby against fierce rival Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta will already be without his full squad and this injury could be another issue for the Spanish coach to try and overcome.
The Gunners will be without midfield anchor Declan Rice, who misses out through suspension after his sending off last weekend against Brighton following a bizarre incident.
Mikel Merino is also out due to an injury sustained during his first training session.
Arsenal are already without star man Declan Rice for the North London Derby through suspension
Arsenal’s £42m summer signing is now also a doubt for the titanic clash
The Italian defender has just made two appearance for Arsenal since joining in the summer – after being introduced as a second-half substitute against Aston Villa and Brighton.
His absence through injury will be greatly missed if he is sidelined for an extended period of time.
The Gunners will play five matches before September draws to a close as they feature in games from the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
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