Declan Rice starts as Arsenal host Monaco in the Emirates Cup this evening.
The midfielder involved for the Gunners on home soil for the first time, after missing the win over Barcelona in Los Angeles as a precaution.
“Dec had quite a strong kick in training and didn’t want to take the risk, he wasn’t comfortable to train yesterday and today, and we decided not to play him,” Mikel Arteta said after that match when explaining Rice’s absence.
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With nearly a week between the games, Rice starts as Arsenal take on Monaco in their final pre-season match before the Community Shield against Manchester City this weekend.
Jurrien Timber also starts, but there is no Gabriel Jesus due to a knee injury that will be assessed. The likes of Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah are all handed chances to impress, with Kai Havertz, Ben White, Gabriel, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka all on the bench, along with Leandro Trossard.
Folarin Balogun and Reiss Nelson both are both battling foot injuries while Oleksandr Zinchenko did not feature at all in the three matches in the USA due to a muscle concern. They are all still out.
Mohamed Elneny remains injured, while Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nicolas Pepe, Nuno Tavares and Cedric Soares have not been involved in the club’s pre-season preparations.
Starting XI: Ramsdale, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, Partey, Rice, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Martinelli, Nketiah
Subs: Turner, Hein, White, Tierney, Gabriel, Holding, Jorginho, Havertz, Odegaard, Saka, Marquinhos, Trossard
Time and date: 6pm BST on Wednesday August 2, 2023
Venue: Emirates Stadium in London
