Mikel Arteta gives injury update on Declan Rice | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has insisted that Declan Rice is fully fit, despite coming off early during Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham United on Saturday.

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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was one of the first players substituted during this weekend’s match against West Ham United, with Oleksandr Zinchenko replacing the former Hammers midfielder in the 56th minute.

The substitution was the earliest Rice has been withdrawn all season, with only his red card against Brighton seeing him leave the field earlier in a match. So there were understandable fears of a potential injury for the 26-year-old on Saturday.

But Harry Symeou reports for BBC Sport that Mikel Arteta claims Rice’s substitution was purely for tactical reasons, with no injury concerns.

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Though Rice put in a disappointing display against West Ham, it’s good news for Arsenal fans that the midfielder isn’t set for a spell on the sidelines.

Arsenal’s next five fixtures include a last-16 tie in the Champions League, two big-six matches against Manchester United and Chelsea, and an away game against high-flying Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners already have five injuries going into that run of matches, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu all absent. They don’t need any more.

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Rice has made 35 appearances for Arsenal this season, scoring three goals and assisting a further seven. His set-piece deliveries were key to a number of results earlier in the campaign, and the Gunners might need a few more corner goals with the attack struggling as it currently is.