Arsenal facing anxious wait as key defender suffers knee injury

Riccardo Calafiori has admitted he does not know the severity of the knee injury he suffered during Italy's 2-1 defeat to Germany in Thursday's Nations League quarter-final first leg.

The Arsenal defender crumpled to the turf after an awkward slip in stoppage time and eventually limped off the pitch after treatment from medical staff. He was then spotted leaving the stadium with a nasty limp.

Italy manager Luciano Spalletti was asked about Calafiori's condition after the game but could only provide a worrying update on the versatile defender.

"He said that his knee feels strange, but cannot answer more precisely than that, so we'll have to see," he told a press conference.

As Calafiori left the stadium, limping but without the use of crutches, reporters asked him whether he had suffered a serious injury.

"I still don't know," he said.

Sky Italy note Calafiori will be sent for tests on Friday to determine the severity of his problem, which will almost certainly rule him out of Italy's return fixture against Germany on Sunday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be nervously awaiting updates on Calafiori's condition. The Gunners return to Premier League action against Fulham on April 1 and, after another league clash with Everton, will face Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on April 8.

After struggling with knee injuries earlier this season, Calafiori had started three of Arsenal's last four Premier League games before the international break, but the Italian is now sweating over what could be an extended spell on the sidelines once again.

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