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Riccardo Calafiori is set for a period on the sidelines after he suffered knee ligament damage late on in Italy's 2-1 defeat to Germany in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final.
The Arsenal defender started Thursday night's game and was on course to complete the entirety of it before a slip when changing direction forced him into a mightily awkward body position and his left knee felt the brunt of it.
Calafiori has a history of knee injuries. His career was threatened as a result of the devastating injury he suffered while playing for Roma's youth team in 2018, and the Italian international missed a month of action earlier this season after sustaining a similar-looking injury in the forgettable 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
It was revealed after Thursday's game that Calafiori would undergo tests on Friday to determine the severity of the issue, and the results perhaps aren't as severe as feared.
Riccardo Calafiori to miss two to three weeks with knee injury
🚨⚠️ Riccardo Calafiori leaves Italy camp with immediate effect after knee injury suffered yesterday.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 21, 2025
Italy staff suggest Calafiori suffered knee collateral injury between grade one/two but final assessment will be made by Arsenal staff. pic.twitter.com/nVxsCIvCTK
Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Calafiori will leave the Italian camp due to the injury he sustained against Germany. As a result, he'll miss the return leg on Sunday and will be assessed again by Arsenal.
Di Marzio notes that Calafiori picked up a 'knee collateral injury' and is expected to be sidelined for no more than three weeks.
If that's the case, Calafiori's status for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid is in doubt. He'll likely miss Arsenal's upcoming Premier League games against Fulham and Everton.
His absence is a blow for an Arsenal team that requires attacking inspiration from any source. Calafiori is a defender by trade, but his threat in the final third has come to the fore since joining the club last summer. The former Bologna man has made 26 appearances in all competitions this season, recording five goal contributions.
Calafiori still has plenty to learn and there's no doubt he'll continue to grow in north London. The promise is undeniable, and he's probably benefitted from the respite Myles Lewis-Skelly's emergence has offered him. The Hale End graduate has been one of the breakout stars of 2024/25, earning his opportunity at left-back while Calafiori was out injured in the winter. Lewis-Skelly hasn't looked back, and he'll be expected to hold down the fort while the Italian's sidelined.