Arsenal have seemingly received a positive update on the fitness of defender Riccardo Calafiori.
During the summer transfer window, the Gunners paid in the region of £42m to sign one of Bologna's star men from last season.
The 22-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game, being restricted to substitute outings against Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion.
However, Calafiori was included on the left-hand side of a back three on Friday night as Italy recorded a 3-1 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League.
Despite conceding after 13 seconds, the Azzurri fought back to post one of their most notable victories since winning the European Championship three years ago.
Nevertheless, the evening was not a perfect one for Luciano Spalletti and his side after Calafiori was forced off in the 71st minute through injury.
© Imago
What happened?
When teammate Alessandro Bastoni made a challenge on France winger Ousmane Dembele, Calafiori was brought down in the aftermath and required treatment.
Calafiori was subsequently unable to shake off the contact injury and was replaced by Alessandro Buongiorno for the final 19 minutes of the fixture in Paris.
With Italy facing Israel in their second Nations League fixture on Monday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be curious as to whether his big-money addition of the summer will be fit for that game.
Speaking after Friday's match, Spalletti indicated that Calafiori had avoided a serious injury, saying: "We need to assess Riccardo but with our staff, we've a good chance to have him back with us for the next game."
© Imago
Major relief for Arteta
Having seen Jurrien Timber suffer a long-term injury soon after his arrival in 2023, Arteta would have been concerned about deja vu occurring ahead of a busy period.
However, it appears that the Spaniard stands to have Calafiori available for the upcoming games, starting with the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15.
That showdown is followed by fixtures away at Atalanta BC and Manchester City, potentially decisive encounters in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.
Arsenal conclude September with home meetings with Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup and a top-flight clash against Leicester City.
Darren Plant
