Arsenal were without Declan Rice to their win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night and the midfielder could still miss their next outing as he deals with a knee injury
Mikel Arteta admits that Declan Rice is far from certain to return against Bournemouth on Saturday after the Arsenal talisman missed Tuesday night’s thumping 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
The England midfielder was a late absentee for the clash at the Emirates, not that the Gunners’ had their momentum halted without him. But games will continue to come thick and fast for the Premier League leaders and they may have to continue without Rice in the short-term.
The ex-West Ham star is dealing with a knee injury, which he picked against Brighton earlier this week, although he was able to play the full 90 minutes. Arteta claims the swelling needs to go down for him to have a chance of returning – and refused to give any iron-clad guarantees that he would do so in the next few days.
He said: “It depends. The swelling has to come right down for him to have the chance to function. He wasn’t able to do that today yet. He’s improving but let’s see what happens in the next couple of days.”
Rice has been integral for Arsenal, earning a reputation as one of the world’s best in his position. But the Gunners’ squad depth was on show as they hammered Aston Villa 4-1 – gaining revenge for their loss earlier in the month.
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Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi, former colleagues at Real Sociedad, partnered up together in the middle of the pitch to help Arsenal extend their lead at the top. The latter scoring his side’s second after being put through by Martin Odegaard.
Arteta has continued to invest in his squad and saw a number of impressive players arrive in the summer. It means Arsenal are well equipped to handle injury setbacks, which they showed on Tuesday night, with the Spaniard insisting the relentless fixture list meaning every member of the playing group needs to chip in and remain focussed.
“It’s belief, it’s energy as well because they put in so much,” he said. “We’re playing every two-and-a-half days, the schedule is very, very demanding, we have some very tough matches and injuries but the players are still winning, so winning helps all that.
“All the sacrifices and commitment that you put in gets reflected in results and great performances and that’s so satisfying, but we know there’s still so much to play for. It’s a great way to end the year, that’s for sure, and tomorrow we’ll have a good night with our families, but then the next day we are in and we have to go to Bournemouth, and we know what that means.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
