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Nations League | League A

Sep 6, 2024 at 7.45pm UK

Parc des Princes

France
1 - 3
Italy

Barcola (1')
Kone (60')

FT(HT: 1-1)

Dimarco (30'), Frattesi (51'), Raspadori (74')
Retegui (49')

Arsenal handed new North London derby concern as defender sustains freak injury

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter

Published: September 6 2024 | 21:57

Last updated: September 7 2024 | 14:19

What are the chances? Arsenal man suffers freak injury on international duty

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori is forced off with an injury in Italy's Nations League clash with France, nine days before the North London derby.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been hit with yet another untimely blow ahead of next weekend's North London derby, as Riccardo Calafiori was taken off in Italy's UEFA Nations League clash with France.

The 22-year-old - a £42m summer signing from Bologna - started in a three-man defence for Luciano Spalletti's side alongside Alessandro Bastoni and Giovanni Di Lorenzo as Italy prevailed 3-1 against the 2018 World Cup winners.

Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori cancelled out Bradley Barcola's 12th-second opener, but Calafiori had to be substituted three minutes before Raspadori put the icing on the cake in the second half.

The Arsenal man was tracking back as his defensive colleague Bastoni put in a challenge on France winger Ousmane Dembele, who went flying and unintentionally brought an unawares Calafiori down with him.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger caught the back of Calafiori's leg with his heel as he took his tumble, and the issue was serious enough to force the 22-year-old off as Alessandro Buongiorno replaced him.

Could Calafiori be a doubt for Tottenham?

Riccardo Calafiori in action for Arsenal in August 2024 © Imago

Calafiori's issue did not appear to be anything more serious than a contact injury, but the fact that he was not able to run it off may be of slight concern to both Spalletti and Arteta.

The Azzurri boss may be asked for an update before Monday's showdown with Israel, but at first glance, it seems that the Italy international will not be out for an extended period of time.

Calafiori was able to walk off the field unaided as he was substituted, but he was evidently limping and is certainly a doubt for the Israel clash, and potentially the North London derby if he does indeed miss the second international game of the month.

Calafiori is yet to make his first start for Arsenal, but he has come off the bench in the Gunners' last two Premier League clashes with Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion, playing on the left and in the centre.

However, Arteta already has Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior able to provide cover out wide, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are mainstays in the heart of defence.

What other North London derby concerns do Arsenal have?

Arsenal's Declan Rice is sent off on August 31, 2024 © Imago

Calafiori's fresh problem is certainly not the most devastating for Arsenal, who are blessed with several other options in defence, even with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney both on the treatment table.

The engine room is where the Gunners' main concerns lie, though, as both Declan Rice and Mikel Merino will sit out the North London derby through suspension and a shoulder fracture respectively.

Merino would have been the perfect replacement for Rice, who was controversially sent off for a pair of bookable offences in the draw with Brighton, but the Spaniard will have to wait several more weeks to make his Arsenal debut.

Instead, Jorginho could be drafted into the midfield trident with Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey, while Kai Havertz, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are alternative options in the central areas.

Odegaard himself picked up an ankle knock in the Brighton stalemate, but he recently offered a positive update on his fitness and played the full 90 in Friday's draw with Kazakhstan.