Arsenal handed injury boost as Calafiori starts for Italy

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Arsenal received positive news about Riccardo Calafiori’s fitness after the defender started and played the full 90 minutes in Italy’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old had sparked concerns earlier this week when Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso revealed that Calafiori arrived at the national team camp complaining of “little pain”. The versatile defender had featured as a substitute in Arsenal’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley last Sunday.

While Calafiori himself provided assurances that he was “fine”, he had cautioned that he would need to assess his condition during training sessions with the Azzurri.

Those concerns have now been put to rest after Calafiori delivered an impressive performance on the left side of Italy’s back three during their victory over Northern Ireland at the New Balance Arena. Goals from Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean secured Italy’s passage to the World Cup qualifier final.

The positive update comes as welcome relief for Mikel Arteta, who has been dealing with a mounting injury list following the Carabao Cup final. Five players withdrew from international duty after the Wembley defeat, creating selection headaches for the Gunners boss.

Arsenal’s injury concerns

William Saliba pulled out of France duty for matches against Brazil and Colombia due to an ankle complaint, while his centre-back partner Gabriel did not join Brazil’s squad in the United States because of knee pain.

Leandro Trossard was ruled out of Belgium duty with an unspecified knock, and Jurrien Timber was replaced in the Netherlands squad after an ankle problem that also kept him out of the City final.

Martin Odegaard was not called up by Norway as he continues to manage a lingering knee injury, though both he and Timber are expected to return soon. However, Eberechi Eze’s withdrawal from the England squad could see him sidelined for four to six weeks with a calf issue.

Mikel Merino remains a long-term absentee following surgery on a rare foot bone injury, with the midfielder targeting a return in time for the World Cup with Spain.

Italy’s victory sets up a winner-takes-all final against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, with the victors securing qualification for this summer’s World Cup in North America. The four-time champions are seeking to reach the finals for the first time since 2014, having missed both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Arsenal will be hoping Calafiori’s positive display indicates he will be available for their upcoming fixtures as they navigate a crucial period in their season.