Italy and Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori is not expected to be sidelined for a significant period after his second-half substitution against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday night according to reports in Italy.
Arsenal and Italy relief after Calafiori injury
The former Bologna centre-back hit the deck after a worrying-looking twist to his knee in the second-half of Arsenal’s midweek 1-0 win. Calafiori had, of course, suffered a career-threatening knee injury back in 2018, right at the start of his life as a professional.
According to reports Corriere dello Sport, the Arsenal centre-back has suffered some minor damage to his medial collateral ligament (MCL), but that is only expected to keep him out of action for a matter of weeks rather than months.
Mikel Arteta is expected to provide more clarity on the situation and the potential recovery time when he speaks at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s game at home against Liverpool at the weekend.
Calafiori is still expected to miss the Liverpool game, and possibly a few more after it as well, but the reports in Italy claim his injury is not as serious as first feared.