Arsenal are going through a rough patch in the first part of the 2024/25 season, both in terms of form and injuries.
This season was supposed to be the one that the Gunners finally pulled in front of the inevitable Manchester City, but a damaging 1-0 loss to Newcastle United saw them end the weekend in fifth place, with Premier League injuries mounting.
Turning their attention to Europe this week didn’t help, as they followed up with another 1-0 loss to Inter, and Declan Rice was a notable absentee from the matchday squad at the San Siro.
Is key Arsenal man Declan Rice injured this weekend?
Arsenal may have felt they were just getting back to midfield normality, with Mikel Merino returning from his delayed start to the campaign, and Martin Odegaard easing his way towards first-team minutes.
However, those hopes may be dashed thanks to news that Rice is a doubt for the Gunners’ away trip to Chelsea this weekend.
Speaking earlier this week, Mikel Arteta said: “Declan unfortunately has picked up an injury against Newcastle. He was able to finish the game but he wasn’t feeling good in the last few days so we have to assess him on Thursday to understand whether he will be fit or not for the weekend.
“It was a knock, so it’s a problem with his foot. He wasn’t comfortable with it so at the moment he’s not fit.”
That is why Rice – ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo's list of the best defensive midfielders in the world right now – wasn’t part of the Champions League loss on Wednesday night, as he had remained in England to focus on his recovery.
The Arsenal boss may provide an update on Rice’s progress this week in his pre-Chelsea press conference, but head coaches, Arteta included, have a habit of keeping their cards close to their chests when it comes to selection issues.
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FourFourTwo can’t help but feel slightly sorry for Arsenal. First, they have to wait for summer signing Merino to get his Gunners career start, then they lose their talisman in Odegaard and, just as he’s returning, doubts crop up over Rice, who knits the midfield unit together.
The 25-year-old is one of the few £100 million+ men who have genuinely been worth every penny, the box-to-box role he plays for the north London side is one of the core elements that makes them tick.
Arsenal are in a rough patch, having suffered two losses on the bounce and without a Premier League win in their last three.
In a league where every point matters, a Cole Palmer-fuelled Chelsea are not the side Arteta would choose to face to arrest that decline. He’ll be urging the club’s medical staff to do all they can to get Rice back in the squad for Sunday’s meeting.
