Riccardo Calafiori has reassured Arsenal fans after being hurt by a reckless tackle from Nathaniel Clyne during the Gunners' 5-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Calafiori came on as a second-half substitute at Selhurst Park to replace Myles Lewis-Skelly minutes before Gabriel Martinelli put the visitors 4-1 up on the hour mark. It was the defender's first appearance since coming off around the same time in Arsenal's 5-2 win over West Ham United late last month.
However, barely 20 minutes later, Calafiori was lying on his back and using his right hand to cover his face while surrounded by teammates after Clyne fouled him. Gabriel Magalhaes was in close attendance, and Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were nearby, too.
The former Liverpool full-back's studs made contact with Calafiori's left ankle, and VAR checked for a potential red card but "confirmed the referee's call, deeming that the challenge was reckless and not serious foul play." Dermot Gallagher also concurred on Sky Sports News during Ref Watch on Monday morning.
"I think the fact he's come from a short distance," the former Premier League referee explained. "He doesn't really gain any momentum or pace. I thought yellow card was a fair decision."
Before that, on Saturday after he completed the match, Calafiori posted on Instagram for the first time since early December. "Great to be back! Big congrats to the team for this amazing away win," he captioned a selection of photos featuring him from the match.
Then, on Monday night, Calafiori shared a mirror selfie taken inside an elevator on the ninth floor of a building. A bouquet is also in the foreground, seemingly resting on a suitcase.
But most importantly, from an Arsenal perspective, Calafiori is standing upright while waiting to reach his destination. That is seemingly a good sign days before Ipswich Town visit the Emirates Stadium the day after Boxing Day.