Like several of his Arsenal teammates, Riccardo Calafiori has carried some discomfort into the March international break, but Gennaro Gattuso isn’t about to let the defender leave camp.
The international break hasn’t even kicked off, but Arsenal are dominating the headlines due to four players withdrawing after earning call-ups.
Eberechi Eze’s injury ruled him out of the England squad, with the same going for Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Arsenal fans were delighted to see Gabriel withdraw, given that he was injured during an international friendly in November.
With Saliba, Timber and Gabriel earning rests over the break, almost all of Mikel Arteta’s back four have been sidelined, and now, it’s been reported that Riccardo Calafiori also isn’t at full fitness.
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Gennaro Gattuso shares Riccardo Calafiori injury update on international duty
Calafiori has reported to duty for Italy, who face a must-win World Cup qualification clash against Northern Ireland.
Unlike some of his Arsenal teammates, whose nations face friendlies over the March break, Calafiori and Italy face one of their most important matches in recent years, which explains Gennaro Gattuso’s latest update on the Gunners defender’s fitness.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of Thursday night’s match, Gattuso admitted that Calafiori had arrived at the Azzurri camp in pain.
“Calafiori felt a little pain,” Gattuso said, as transcribed by TMW, adding, “but we expect to have him back.”
Gattuso needs his best players fit and ready to contribute for their nation, so despite reports of Calafiori’s discomfort, there’s little chance of the 23-year-old following his teammates back to London.
Riccardo Calafiori and Viktor Gyokeres face tough tests on international duty
It’s not only Calafiori who has work to do during the March break, as Viktor Gyokeres and Sweden face their last chance of qualifying for the World Cup.
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Sweden will face Ukraine in their knock-out clash, led by Graham Potter.
Potter has acknowledged Gyokeres’ importance to Sweden, which is unsurprising, given that the 27-year-old has 15 goals in 30 caps for his country.
Sweden need to pull off a great escape if they are to qualify for the summer tournament, and just like at Arsenal, Gyokeres needs to step up to deliver the goals.
It’s set to be a busy international break for the likes of Gyokeres and Calafiori, who, while fighting for World Cup qualification, will have Arteta back in London praying they return fully fit.
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