Declan Rice has picked up an injury at the worst time for Arsenal. It's not that the team doesn't have worthy depth to replace the England international for the time being, but fans haven't seen the preferred midfield three start a game this season. For a team needing a result this weekend to stay afloat in the title race, consistency in midfield, let alone defense and attack, is desperately needed.
Whether it's been Mikel Merino, captain Martin Ødegaard, or now Rice, Arsenal hasn't had its midfield three fully fit to start a game. The former two have returned, but are question marks for the game against Chelsea this weekend.
Rice is out for an unknown period of time after he was surprisingly left out of the traveling Champions League squad against Inter this week.
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When Will Declan Rice Return From Injury?
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, isn't divulging much in terms of Rice's injury and recovery timeline. “I have to be very vague on that one because there’s no clarity on whether he’s going to be fit for the weekend.”
“[Whether he has a broken toe is] for the doctor, what I can say is that he hasn't trained yet and it is not clear whether he’s going to be available or not to play.”
Not only is it uncertain how long Rice could be out for, but it's also apparently uncertain based on the manager's words if he has a broken toe or not. Remaining tactically vague in injury updates isn't new for the Spaniard. Bukayo Saka's availability in October against Liverpool was kept under wraps.
Potential Declan Rice Replacements for Arsenal
If Rice can't go, Thomas Partey is the clear option to step into midfield as long as Arsenal can start a relatively preferred backline. Partey has deputized at right-back this season given injuries to Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber. The Ghanaian has seen a rise in form after a slow start to the season, so he should be the go-to option. Question marks surround Arteta's 4-4-2 that he's deployed recently, so he'll either be part of a pivot or the sole anchor.
If Arteta needs to play Partey elsewhere, or Merino isn't available, Jorginho can also come into the squad as he's done numerous times for Arsenal in the past. He and Rice were Arsenal's preferred pairing when Partey was injured last season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Declan Rice Injury: Progress and Potential Return Date for Arsenal Midfielder.
