Arsenal Defender Forced to Withdraw from Italy Squad
Arsenal's summer signing, Riccardo Calafiori, has been sent back to his club after being ruled out of Italy's crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway due to a hip injury.
The 23-year-old defender missed Italy's 2-0 victory away to Moldova on Thursday, and despite initial hopes from head coach Gennaro Gattuso that he would be available for Sunday's final group game, a decision has been made not to risk the player.
Gattuso Praises Defender's Professionalism
Explaining the situation on Saturday, Gattuso revealed that Calafiori had made a significant effort to be fit but would not be forced to play through the pain. 'He tried, and we thank him for the professionalism, desire, and dedication he’s shown, which is good for us as a group,' Gattuso stated.
The Italian coach added a note of caution regarding the player's club commitments, saying, 'We could have made him grit his teeth, but that’s not fair because he’ll have matches every three or four days.'
Race for Fitness Ahead of North London Derby
All attention now turns to Calafiori's recovery timeline. Arsenal will be hoping their defender can regain fitness in time for the highly anticipated north London derby against Tottenham next Sunday. His availability would be a major boost for Mikel Arteta's side in a key Premier League fixture.
Meanwhile, the Italian national team faces a monumental task in their final World Cup qualifier. The Azzurri currently sit second in Group I and would need to achieve a nine-goal victory over Norway to avoid the uncertainty of the qualifying play-offs.
