Arsenal faces an anxious wait to determine the severity of Declan Rice’s back injury. The Gunners’ £105 million summer signing was substituted at half-time during the thrilling 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
With a crucial match against Manchester City looming in two weeks, Rice’s injury is causing concern for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s injury concerns are mounting, as he was already without Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Jurrien Timber for the Tottenham match.
Martinelli and Trossard were sidelined with hamstring issues, Partey is expected to be out until next month due to a groin problem, and Timber is sidelined for the entire season with a knee injury. Trossard’s condition will also be assessed this week.
Even if they recover in time, neither Rice nor Trossard are likely to participate in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round clash against Brentford. Bukayo Saka is also unlikely to feature in that game to allow him some rest.
Saka appeared to be in discomfort after a late collision with Spurs left-back Destiny Udogie and was substituted during stoppage time of the North London derby.
Arsenal is hoping for positive news regarding the injuries to Rice and Trossard. The team struggled after Rice’s departure against Tottenham, losing his presence and ability to disrupt play. His replacement, Jorginho, was dispossessed for the second Spurs equalizer.
Regarding Rice’s injury, Arteta stated, “He had some discomfort in his back. He was telling us during the first half that he was uncomfortable. When we assessed him at half-time, he could not continue, so we had to replace him.”
For the upcoming match against Brentford, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson are expected to be in the starting lineup, while Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu are likely to feature in defense. Midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who returned after a knee injury in January, may also get some playing time as he continues his journey back to full fitness.