Arsenal Defender Leaves Italy Camp After Suffering Injury Against France
- Riccardo Calafiori has left the Italy camp after suffering an injury against France on Friday night
- Mikel Arteta has explained why Arsenal reinforced an already water-tight defence with Riccardo Calafiori
- The former Bologna defender chose the North London club despite keen interest from some top European clubs
Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori has withdrawn from Italy's camp after sustaining an injury during Friday night's match against France.
The freak incident occurred when Ousmane Dembele accidentally landed on Calafiori's ankle after being tackled.
Source: Getty Images
His Italy teammates immediately signalled for the physio, showing concern for the defender’s condition.
The medical staff took no chances and substituted Calafiori, with Italy leading 3-1 at the time.
After the match, Italy manager Lucas Spaletti sought to ease concerns about the injury.
“We need to assess Riccardo but with our staff, we’ve a good chance to have him back with us for the next game," he said.
Calafiori has now departed the Italy camp and returned to London for assessment by Arsenal's medical team.
A £33.7 million summer signing from Bologna, his injury raises concerns for Arsenal ahead of their Premier League clash with Tottenham following the international break.
Arsenal boss takes swipe at rival clubs
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained why the Premier League side splashed the cash on Riccardo Calafiori.
The highly-rated defender, who made a name for himself at Euro 2024, joined the Gunners from Bologna in a deal potentially worth £42 million with add-ons.
"Signing Riccardo Calafiori was about the numbers. We only had six defenders in the backline, and at this level, you have to be really lucky to sustain a season like this," he said as cited by Tribuna.
The 42-year-old coach voiced concerns about the heavy reliance on defensive stalwarts William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who played significantly more minutes in the previous season.
"We were because William Saliba, for example, and Gabriel Magalhaes nearly played every minute. We played more than 50 per cent more minutes than the previous season."
Arsenal boss takes swipe at rival clubs
YEN.com.gh also reported that following Riccardo Calafiori's signing, Mikel Arteta appeared to take a subtle jab at rivals, notably Chelsea, who were interested in the Italian player.
Arteta's remarks coincided with Calafiori's comments about selecting the best career project before departing Bologna, seemingly hinting at Chelsea.
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Source: AFP
