The left-back had suffered an injury over the last break, and Italy were always likely to give him plenty of minutes this week, so there was a real risk of another setback.
Fortunately, and despite playing 180 minutes across Italy’s two games, the defender appears to have avoided injury this time around.
Speaking to the media about his time at Arsenal so far, Calafiori seemed very positive.
“First, the intensity they put into training and matches is something that caught my eye as soon as I arrived after the Euros,” Calafiori said. “I found this very different from Italy.
“Then, I don’t feel like saying that we need to take something in particular from them, but matches are often fought until the end (at Arsenal).
“Whatever team you encounter, whether it’s a smaller team or a more renowned one, no one thinks too much about defending.
“This is the big difference; in fact, there are more counter-attacks, and it is more fun to watch.”
Over the break, Calafiori helped Italy to secure a draw against Belgium despite the team being reduced to 10 men in the first half, then he was involved in a 4-1 thrashing against Israel.
Italy went close to a clean sheet, but they conceded directly to a corner. Tottenham Hotspur’s Guglielmo Vicario was once again culpable, flapping at the ball under pressure from an attacker.
But the win sees Italy leading their Nations League group ahead of France by a point, with Belgium five points further behind in third.
With a six-point lead over third place and a play-off spot for both first and second-place finishes, it would take something dramatic in the final two games to deny Italy a place in the quarter-finals.
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