Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was forced to leave the field early due to an injury as Italy secured a surprising 3-1 victory over France in their Nations League opener.
The Gunners player suffered the injury in a freak collision during the match. As Ousmane Dembele was tackled, his studs accidentally caught Calafiori on the back of his leg. Despite attempting to play through the pain, Riccardo Calafiori was unable to continue and was replaced in the 71st minute.
Arsenal will now await the results of Calafiori’s injury assessment. If the injury proves serious, it could be a significant setback for Mikel Arteta, who is already dealing with the absences of Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.
Despite Calafiori’s departure, Italy managed to secure a victory over France. Bradley Barcola gave France an early lead, but goals from Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi, and Giacomo Raspadori sealed the win for Italy.
Michael Olise, a London-born winger for Bayern Munich, made his senior debut for France in the match. He had previously represented Les Bleus at the Olympic Games.
France will face Belgium in their next Nations League game on September 9.
