Daily Cannon

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has returned to London after being released from international duty with Italy following a minor injury scare.

The 22-year-old picked up the injury during Italy’s 3-1 victory over France in their UEFA Nations League clash last Friday, but Arsenal remain hopeful he will be fit to face Tottenham in this weekend’s North London derby.

Calafiori, who has been a standout performer for Arsenal since joining from Bologna this summer, was substituted in the 71st minute of the game after a freak incident involving Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé.

As Dembélé was tackled, he fell awkwardly on Calafiori’s leg, causing the Arsenal defender to feel discomfort in his right calf.

Despite the injury scare, Italy’s medical team assessed the situation as not immediately serious, but agreed to send Calafiori back to Arsenal for further treatment.

Although the Italian Football Association allowed him to return to London as a precautionary measure, Arsenal’s medical team is optimistic that the injury is not severe.

It is understood that Italy conducted an MRI scan on Calafiori following the match, which revealed no major damage, though the player was reportedly seen leaving the stadium on crutches.

Italy manager Luciano Spalletti commented on the situation after the game, saying, “Calafiori needs to be evaluated, but with our good doctors, there is a chance he can recover.”

Despite Spalletti’s positive outlook, the Italian national team decided to err on the side of caution by allowing the defender to leave before Italy’s next Nations League fixture against Israel.

Arsenal will be keen for Calafiori to recover quickly. Calafiori’s versatility and ability to operate in both defensive and attacking roles have been key assets, with Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport praising his performance against France, describing him as “among the best in Paris.”

His return to London comes at a critical time for Arsenal, who are already facing a depleted squad ahead of the high-stakes derby against Tottenham. Midfield talisman Declan Rice is unavailable due to suspension, while summer signing Mikel Merino remains sidelined with a fractured shoulder, leaving Arteta short of options.

Calafiori’s ability to seamlessly integrate into Arsenal’s system since his arrival has drawn plaudits, and the club will be desperate for him to regain fitness in time for Sunday’s showdown.

The Italian defender’s composure on the ball and tactical awareness adds much-needed balance to Arteta‘s defence.

The hope within the Arsenal camp is that Calafiori’s injury is only a minor setback, and that he will be fit to play in the derby.

Should he recover in time, his presence will be vital for an Arsenal side looking to maintain their strong start to the season and secure bragging rights over their North London rivals.

Raheem Sterling is planning to train throughout the international break to be ready to face Tottenham Hotspur on September 15th, according to a report.

Simon Collings reports for The Standard that Arsenal loanee Raheem Sterling joined training on Monday and he’s asked to train throughout the next fortnight over the international break.

Sterling was involved with Chelsea in pre-season, notably scoring against former club Manchester City in an early August friendly.

But after his 12-minute substitute appearance in a friendly against Inter Milan on August 11th, the winger didn’t play any part in Chelsea’s opening four games of the competitive campaign.

Though Sterling has been keeping fit through individual one-on-one training with former England physical performance coach Ben Rosenblatt, he effectively needs another mini-pre-season now.

The player is also planning to study Arsenal’s patterns of play over the break, and he wants to be ready to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Gunners’ first game back.

Arsenal were always Sterling’s first-choice destination, and he’s reportedly hoping to play opposite Bukayo Saka on the left. Though he can also play as a false nine or as an alternative to Saka on the right, when required.

If Sterling is ready for the Spurs game, he could be a good option. He has plenty of experience playing against Arsenal’s north London rivals, with 13 career goals and assists against them – more than he has against any other big-six club.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are both in relatively inconsistent form, and Sterling has a point to prove given the manner of his Chelsea exit.

Whether the on-loan winger starts or comes off the bench, he could make an impact.

Archie Gray is set to join Tottenham Hotspur from Leeds United, following tenuous links with interest from Arsenal.

David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that Tottenham Hotspur are nearing an agreement to sign Archie Gray from Leeds United, with the club set to pay £40m.

Joe Rodon is heading the other way for £10m, and Spurs’ view is reportedly that it’s effectively a swap deal, with Gray joining for £25-30m plus Rodon.

Leeds claim the deals are separate, as is becoming increasingly common this week. Various clubs are looking to circumvent Profit and Sustainability Rules using seemingly-inflated deals that net off against each other.

Gray has already completed his medical ahead of the Spurs move, and he’ll sign a six-year contract later on Monday.

The Rodon deal, which is definitely a completely separate transaction, is slightly holding up the unrelated Gray transfer, as Rodon is currently in Las Vegas.

This is all relevant to Arsenal because Simon Jones of the Daily Mail had claimed last week that Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs were all interested in Gray.

The links never got any more substantial than that, with the Mail the only outlet claiming the Gunners were interested.

Coincidentally, Arsenal already had a player called Archie Gray many years ago. Arsenal’s Gray joined the club in 1904, playing in the club’s first-ever game in the top flight and spending the next five seasons with the Gunners.

It looks like Leeds’ Gray is set to represent the other north London club instead.

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