Mikel Arteta revealed that Declan Rice is currently being assessed after limping off against Chelsea and warned that he will be forced into rotations for Arsenal’s midweek trip to Brighton.
Rice lasted the first 76 minutes of Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the Blues, taking the direct corner that led to Jurriën Timber’s second-half winning goal. The talismanic midfielder had some nervous moments against the club that released him as a 14-year-old (it took a very generous interpretation of the phrase “natural position” to overlook a potential handball in the first half), but he ran down the field with determination.
A lightning attack, as always, in the 69th minute allowed him to silence a Chelsea counterattack, but it seemed to cost him dearly. Rice came off awkwardly, limping around the pitch for a few more minutes before being replaced by Christian Nørgaard.
“Declan has to be replaced”Arteta revealed after the match, “so it will have to be checked and see if it is available for Wednesday, unfortunately.”
As the Arsenal boss warned, he won’t be the only regular starter at risk of being left out.
Arteta hints at rotation for a complicated trip
“We will have to make changes and give everyone a chance to be fresh”promised the Arsenal coach. Arteta took advantage of the week of preparation for this weekend’s London derby to field an unchanged XI for the first time in months, but there will be several changes for the trip south.
Given his importance to the team, Rice may not have taken a risk against Brighton despite this injury. Nørgaard has proven to be a capable substitute in defense and his presence gives Martín Zubimendi the freedom to demonstrate his impressive attacking instincts.
Martin Ødegaard missed Sunday’s game due to a recurrence of his knee injury, forcing Arteta to turn to Eberechi Eze again. Tottenham Hotspur’s nemesis will have to overcome his capital curse if he is to make an impact in Wednesday’s game at the AMEX Stadium: Eze has not scored or assisted a single goal in the Premier League outside London in almost 11 months.
Mikel Merino is not available as a substitute in midfield, but Kai Havertz did return to action this weekend. The German’s quirky style could come in handy against a Brighton side buoyed by their first back-to-back wins since November.
There could also be a change in goal. David Raya was in great form against Chelsea, but all that jumping in the middle of the corner scrum left him looking uncomfortable at the final whistle. “I don’t know what happened in that (final) action,” Arteta reflected. “He had some discomfort this week, so I don’t know if it’s related to that. But overall, I’m very happy.”
Arteta will no doubt select Wednesday’s team with this weekend’s visit to Mansfield Town in mind. The Gunners have rotated a lot in the FA Cup so far, leaving their stars on the bench in case a surprise looms. Having already eliminated Premier League rival Burnley, Nigel Clough’s third division team should not be underestimated.
21 games in 87 days
No English club has ever won the quadruple title, but Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool came very close. The Reds lifted both domestic cups, pressured Manchester City until the final round of the Premier League and lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final during a grueling 2021-22 season. Despite only winning two trophies, Liverpool played all 63 games.
Since then, the Champions League has been expanded, meaning Arsenal will have to play 65 games if they hope to dominate all four fronts. We are already in March, but there are still up to 21 possible games that the Gunners will have to overcome in 87 days.
If Arteta is to have any hope of winning any or all of these trophies, he will have to master the fickle art of team management, starting with Wednesday’s trip to Brighton.
