Riccardo Calafiori has left the Italy national team camp and headed back to London, where Arsenal’s medical staff will take a closer look at a small issue that’s been bothering him.
The young defender had hoped to push through and stay available for the Azzurri, but things didn’t quite go that way this time around.
Softfootball understands that the Italian manager, Gennaro Gattuso, who has urged maximum commitment from the Italian team, confirmed Calafiori’s situation, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano via his official X account.
He said:
Riccardo Calafiori has left Italy camp today and returns to London to be assessed by Arsenal staff.
He tried to be available but he can’t force now,says Italy coach Gattuso. #AFC staff informed + not anticipating a big problem or issue.
Calafiori, who played the entire 90 minutes for Arsenal last weekend in the club’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland, tried to be available for Italy, but the staff weren’t willing to risk making a mild concern turn into something bigger.
It’s believed the problem is connected to the hip discomfort that popped up earlier on, though nothing dramatic is being suggested at this point.
Arsenal has been cautious with players this season, and Calafiori is too important a piece to gamble with. At 23, he’s already earning trust both at the Emirates and in the Italy setup, which makes situations like this a bit frustrating for everyone involved. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially with a long, packed campaign ahead.
Calafiori’s return to London is mostly precautionary, the kind of move modern clubs make when even the tiniest red flag shows up. And while fans always fear the worst when they hear about players leaving international duty early, early indications suggest this one shouldn’t spiral into any long-term layoff.
The hope now is that after a proper assessment and maybe a few days of reduced intensity, he’ll be back training normally. The timing isn’t perfect; it never is, but Arsenal will feel relieved that this issue appears minor, and Italy will be counting on having him fit again soon enough.
