Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is unlikely to approve of the reported messaging from Italy coach to stars who are suffering with fitness worries
12:00, 13 Nov 2025
Gennaro Gattuso Head coach of Italy reportedly wants Riccardo Calafiori to focus on national team needs despite fitness concerns
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Gennaro Gattuso, head coach of Italy, reportedly wants Riccardo Calafiori to focus on national team needs despite fitness concerns(Image: Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta will be watching on with concern as Riccardo Calafiori aims to take part in Italy’s international match with Norway at the weekend. Italian media reported this week that the left-back had been nursing a hip problem.
They did, however, confirm that Calafiori’s condition was improving ahead of the crunch qualifier. Ahead of Italy’s match with Moldova on Thursday, which the Arsenal defender is set to miss, Norway are set to play Estonia on the same day with the two countries separated by three points.
Martin Odegaard is in attendance, but he is not playing in the games and has been granted permission by Arsenal to attend in a non-playing capacity while he recovers. Arteta has already dealt with numerous injuries this season, despite still guiding his side to the top of the table after eleven games.
He has spoken of always being cautious around player welfare, particularly when it comes to player congestion. He therefore might not have been keen to read a report by La Repubblica, who claim that Gennaro Gattuso and Gianluigi Buffon have urged Italy players to prioritise the national team and World Cup qualification even if not fully fit.
Therefore, if Calafiori is still not considered 100% ready to face Norway, he may still play due to this reported encouragement from the national team figureheads. Calafiori got injured playing for Italy in September of last season after a collision with Ousmane Dembele, but thankfully, it was only minor.
Yet he would suffer three further injuries in October, December, January and March of the same season. He has thankfully avoided further problems during the current campaign until now.
Arsenal’s next match is the North London Derby straight after the international break. Arteta will be keeping fingers crossed that Calafiori will be ready after having such an impressive beginning to the new season.
If he, for any reason, is unable to play, there are alternatives. Both Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly are options and have played the role, but the Italian’s style is very unique and offered the Gunners plenty of unpredictability that has scuppered opposition plans to cope with Arsenal’s build-up.
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