Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori was in action for Italy in Thursday evening’s UEFA Nations League loss to Germany.
However, in the latter stages of the match, Calafiori was forced to come off for treatment after suffering what appeared to be a knee issue.
In the 92nd minute, the Arsenal star slipped awkwardly whilst tracking back and immediately held his left knee before going to the sidelines for treatment.
Calafiori was not substituted, as Luciano Spalletti had already used up all his substitutions, but the full-time whistle went not long after.
The Arsenal star’s slip and subsequent issue with his knee will be cause for concern, with Italian media commenting on it after the game.
What was said about Riccardo Calafiori knee issue
Spalletti, the Italy head coach, wasn’t able to provide much information about Calafiori’s knee issue.
Fabrizio Romano quoted Spalletti as saying: “We still don’t know if he’s injured. Ricky feels something strange at his knee but we still don’t know.”
The Italian medical team will most likely conduct tests on the Arsenal star to determine the severity of the issue.
However, Italian media outlet Pazzi Di Fanta noted how Calafiori hurt his left knee, which has given him problems earlier in his career.
‘The instrumental tests scheduled for the next few hours will clarify the situation, allowing us to accurately assess the severity of the physical problem,’ they wrote.
‘Recovery times will be estimated in the short term but they are certainly not great news for the national team and for Arsenal.
‘The former Bologna centre-back is one of Spalletti’s key players and his starting spot at San Siro proves it.
‘The issue must be evaluated, as confirmed by the former Napoli coach. Calafiori came out on his own two feet and that’s already a sign.
‘Since it’s his left knee, we’ll be cautious because the twisting was totally unnatural.’
Why there is concern over any issues with Riccardo Calafiori’s left knee
It remains to be seen whether Calafiori has suffered a knee injury, a muscular problem or something else.
However, it’s understandable that any issues with Calafiori’s left knee spark concern, as he suffered a serious injury to it when he was in Roma’s youth team.
At just 16 years of age, a challenge from an opposition player during a match saw Calafiori tear every ligament in his left knee, as well as the meniscus and the articular capsule.
The injury was so severe that doctors were not optimistic about his future in the sport.
However, Calafiori used that as motivation to make a full recovery and make his professional debut for his hometown club in August 2020.
He said earlier this year, as per the Arsenal website: “To be honest, I was lucky that I was so young, because I was 16.
“My only thoughts were coming back from the injury and just playing again, because, as you mentioned before, they said I would probably stop my career before it’s even started.
“So I just want to play again and that’s it.”
Calafiori has been a sensation at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta is delighted with him, as are his teammates and obviously the fans, so fingers crossed everything’s okay.
