Riccardo Calafiori bright arsenal career has suffered a stinging blow. The 23-year-old left-back Riccardo Calafiori sidelined with a nagging hip problem. This has seen him miss out on critical world cup qualifiers against Moldova and Norway by Italy. The Bologna import sparkled in his 42 million summer switch to the Emirates. He is rehabilitating in isolation in his home city club, Florence, miles away the coverciano base of the Azzurri. Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso confirmed the news in a very brief manner. Riccardo is a warrior, yet we can not afford it. He’s training solo–back soon.”
The loss of Calafiori due to hip injury hurts Arsenal most of all. He has made himself into the heart of the fluid backline by Mikel Arteta. The versatile defender has a 6’3″ frame that combines ball-playing composure with relentless tackling. He has played seven of 11 league games since his debut in August. It is his sweeping clearances and overlapping runs that have held in place a unit that has been conceding the fewest goals in the league, eight. And after Burnley, Arteta, as he won, said: “Riccardo is our calm in the storm. We miss that edge.”
The Mounting Injury Toll
This blow intensifies the mounting casualty list at Arsenal. This is endangering the four point lead in the Premier League. The Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus is out until summer 2026 following ACL surgery. A gap that has changed the way attacks are made. Kai Havertz carries a knee ligament injury that he sustained in October during the Champions League match. Moreover, the German hybrid will be out at least six weeks. Viktor Gyokeres (thigh strain) and Gabriel Martinelli (minor calf knock) are also currently done in light training, and the hamstring recovery of Noni Madueke is dragging into the month of June. Arteta has 28 in his rotating squad due to 12 players nursing knocks in the internationals, which is dangerously thin.
Club medics attribute the cluster to fixture congestion—15 games in 50 days—plus international overreach. Calafiori’s hip, a flare-up from September’s Torino tussle, echoes his Bologna days: overuse in a high-line system.
Derby Dreams on Hold?
As the November 30 North London Derby against Tottenham looms, fingers are crossed for Calafiori’s Emirates return. Scans show progress, with a potential squad slot by Forest week. “We’re adapting, but Riccardo’s irreplaceable,” Ødegaard noted. In a title race where margins are microscopic, Arsenal’s resilience will be in severe test. For the Florence kid turned Gunner, this hiatus is a setback, not a story’s end. Heal swift, Riccardo—the red and white awaits.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
