Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with a hard-fought victory over their London rivals, Chelsea.
However, they have played an extra game. Now, their next clash will be against Brighton and Hove Albion in midweek before taking on Mansfield Town in the FA Cup.
But before the clash against Brighton, the Gunners suffered an injury scare with Declan Rice. The England international came off the pitch in the second half at the Emirates on Sunday.
Cameras clearly showed him grimacing. Apart from Rice, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed that his goalkeeper, David Raya, had been struggling with niggles.
Christian Norgaard replaced Rice and helped the Gunners secure three points against the Blues. These three points could be crucial heading into the climax of this season.
Also, Arteta knows that he cannot afford to miss one of their best players heading into crucial games in the following weeks.
So, after the game, Mikel Arteta was asked about Declan Rice’s condition. This is what the Arsenal boss had to say (quotes via The Standard):
“I don’t know. Declan had to be substituted, so he’s going to have to get checked and see if he’s available for Wednesday, unfortunately.”
So, it is unclear whether Rice will feature for the Gunners during their trip to the Amex Stadium. Now, there is hope for Arsenal to see Rice in action shortly.
Declan Rice made a post-match post which said “keep pushing” with a photo of himself. So, the one positive from this post is surely Rice not mentioning the injury.
Now, Arsenal’s medical team will assess his condition before taking a call. Arteta will hope that the injury lay-off will not be long.
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