Arsenal are confident that Riccardo Calafiori’s injury is not serious with the defender having returned early from international duty for assessment.
Calafiori injured his calf during Italy’s impressive 3-1 win over France in Paris on Friday night after a freak collision with Ousmane Dembele.
The centre-back had started the Nations League opener for the Azzurri but was substituted with 20 minutes remaining and replaced by Alessandro Buongiorno.
The 22-year-old will miss the clash with Israel tomorrow and will now leave the Italy squad to return to Arsenal so the issue can be assessed. Arsenal are not understood to be overly concerned but both the Gunners and Italy were keen for Calafiori to take no additional risk during the international break.
Calafiori signed for Arsenal from Bologna in a £42m deal in the summer and has been eased into action with just 42 minutes of Premier League football so far.
Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in a huge North London derby on Sunday, as Mikel Arteta’s team look to bounce back from a draw with Brighton at the Emirates before the international break.
