Arsenal Defender’s Injury Worry Ahead of North London Derby
Published 17:52 8 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Arsenal have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of the upcoming North London derby against Tottenham. Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori has been forced to leave the Italy camp and will undergo an assessment with the Gunners’ medical staff.
Calafiori, a summer signing from Bologna, suffered an injury during Italy’s Nations League match against France on Friday. The 22-year-old centre-back was caught awkwardly by Ousmane Dembele, who accidentally kicked Calafiori’s calf with his studs.
“It’s a huge setback for Mikel Arteta,” we wrote on social media. “Calafiori’s injury adds to the Gunners’ defensive worries ahead of the North London derby.”
Calafiori’s absence is a concern for Arsenal, who will already be without Declan Rice due to a suspension after his red card in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Brighton. Summer signing Mikel Merino is also expected to miss the game after a freak injury in training, with Arteta revealing the midfielder will be out for “a few weeks” after suffering a shoulder injury.
“Very unfortunate,” Arteta said. “He had a collision and he has a shoulder injury. It looks like he’s going to be out for a few weeks. He was really excited and everything was looking really good. He landed on the floor and Gabi landed on top of him and it looks like he has a small fracture probably.”
It’s a tough blow for Arsenal, who are still adjusting to life without a number of key players. The Gunners will hope that Calafiori’s injury is not too serious and that he will be back in action soon.
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Topics: Arsenal, Premier League, Transfers, Italy