22-year-old defender returns to Arsenal as early knee injury diagnosis revealed | OneFootball

Arsenal could be without Riccardo Calafiori for their upcoming crucial matches in the Premier League and the Champions League, after he sustained a worrying knee injury during Italy’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League defeat to Germany on Thursday.

Calafiori, who has been a regular starter for Arsenal in recent weeks despite the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly, was a starter for Italy in the quarter-final tie at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, and he played the full 90 minutes. He had a difficult evening on the park, and to make matters worse, he went down in the closing stagesafter appearing to injure his knee in a non-contact incident.

The injury will rule him out of the return leg against Germany, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that Calafiori has left the Italy training camp with immediate effect in order to return to North London for further examinations with the Arsenal medical team.

Riccardo Calafiori early injury diagnosis revealed

Riccardo Calafiori is comforted by Antonio Rudiger (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Romano also reports that members of the Italian coaching staff have suggested that Calafiori has suffered a knee collateral injury, with the possible damage being between a grade one or two. However, the final assessment will be made by Arsenal, who are expected to put their defender through medical tests in the next 24-48 hours.

It feels inevitable that Calafiori will miss at least two of Arsenal’s next matches, which are in the Premier League against Fulham and Everton. The following fixtures sees them host Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and Mikel Arteta will be desperate for the 22-year-old to be available for that one, although it looks difficult at this stage.

Arsenal will be praying for good news with Calafiori, as they target a strong run in the Champions League – and also an unlikely title battle against Liverpool in the Premier League.