Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori leaves Italy camp after suffering freak injury against France as Gunners fear knock is worse than first feared
- Riccardo Calafiori suffered a strange injury during Italy’s 3-1 win over France.
- Arsenal defender now doubtful for next weekend’s North London derby
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Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has left Italy’s training camp after picking up a strange injury against France on Friday night.
The 22-year-old was substituted in the second half after sustaining a blow to his ankle with the visitors leading 3-1.
The situation was extremely unfortunate, as Ousmane Dembele went down after Bastoni had attacked him, his studs coming into contact with Calafiori’s leg as he fell.
The defender was clearly in pain after the incident and was quickly taken off the field.
It was initially thought to be an impact injury rather than anything more serious, but Arsenal fans will be concerned after seeing the Italian sent back to London to recover.
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has left Italy’s training camp after a strange injury
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti tried to allay concerns after the match against France.
Spalletti said: ‘We have to assess Riccardo, but with our staff there is a good chance we will have him back with us for the next match.’
Italy’s next match is next Monday. Italy will play another Nations League match against Israel at the Bozsik Arena. Calafiori will not be playing in this match.
Arsenal’s next match after the international break is the North London derby against arch-rivals Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta will be without his full squad anyway and this injury could be a new problem for the Spanish coach.
Arsenal’s new signing suffered a strange injury after Ousmane Dembele fell on him
The Gunners will be without midfielder Declan Rice, who is out due to suspension after being sent off for a bizarre incident against Brighton last week.
Mikel Merino is also absent due to an injury he sustained during his first training session.
Calafiori has played just two games for Arsenal since his arrival in the summer, coming on as a second-half substitute against Aston Villa and Brighton.
The Gunners have five more games to play before September ends, including fixtures in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.