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Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has withdrawn from the Italy squad before their final World Cup group-stage qualifier against Norway.
Calafiori, 23, missed Italy’s victory over Moldova on Thursday, and head coach Gennaro Gattuso said while he could have played against Norway, this would not have been “fair” on the left-back or Arsenal.
Arsenal play Tottenham Hotspur in the season’s first north London derby on Sunday, November 23.
“Calafiori left the training camp,” Gattuso told a pre-match press conference on Saturday, in quotes carried by Sky Sports Italia.
“We tried Calafiori, he had a few issues. I thank him for his commitment: he stayed here for a week, he could have played perhaps, but it wouldn’t have been fair to him or Arsenal. We’ll see who plays between (Gianluca) Mancini and (Alessandro) Buongiorno.”
Italy are three points behind group leaders Norway but have a far inferior goal difference, meaning they need to win Sunday’s game by nine goals or more if they are to avoid the play-offs and qualify automatically for next summer’s tournament.
Calafiori has made 12 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season, providing a goal and two assists. He has started all 11 of their top-flight fixtures, with Mikel Arteta’s side four points clear at the Premier League summit.
The Italy international joined Arsenal from Bologna in a £42million move in the summer of 2024. Injuries restricted him to 19 Premier League appearances during his debut season in north London.
Arsenal were without the injured Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Victor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz before November’s international break.
Nov 15, 2025
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