Declan Rice missed Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa due to a knee injury sustained against Brighton and could be doubtful for this weekend’s game against AFC Bournemouth.
Footage of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice appearing to discuss his knee injury with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rodgers has surfaced on social media, raising alarm over the extent of his knee problem. Rice was injured in the win over Brighton and missed the Gunners’ 4-1 win over Villa in the Premier League earlier this week.
The England international was at the Emirates Stadium to witness the victory after it was reported that he would be absent before kick-off. Concerns initially arose when Rice was nowhere to be seen at Monday’s training session.
The injury is thought to have occurred during a brilliant performance as a makeshift right-back against the Seagulls. There was optimism that he would be available for the game against Villa, but he was not included in the matchday squad.
read more: Calafioli, Rice, Mosquera – latest Arsenal injury news and return dates after Aston Villa win
Mikel Arteta provided a pre-match update to Sky Sports, saying: “Declan took a big kick to the knee during the game[against Brighton]actually at the start of the game, and by the end of the game his knee was really swollen.
Football London reported: “The game (against Villa) came too soon for him to consider.” Asked if this was a short-term setback for Rice, the Arsenal manager said: “I think so. I hope he can function once the swelling subsides (and) he gets well.” I also miss Lissie (Calafioli) today. ”
After the win, Arteta was asked whether he had expected Rice to be included in the squad for this weekend’s trip to Bournemouth. “It depends,” he answered.
“So the swelling has to go down quickly for him to have a chance to function. He wasn’t able to do that yet today, but he’s improving, but we’ll see what happens over the next few days.”
Arteta is expected to provide another update on his midfield talisman in this week’s pre-match press conference. Despite this, footage leaked on social media showing Rice chatting with England teammate Rodgers after the match.
It’s not entirely clear what Rice is saying, but he is gesturing toward his knee, which appears to indicate that it is inflamed. The clip caused concern among fans online.
Thankfully, the midfielder doesn’t seem to be limping as he heads into the tunnel.
Rice has voiced his thoughts since missing the win against Villa, turning to social media to praise his colleague’s excellent performance. He posted on Instagram: “This team!!!!! We keep moving forward (3 red love heart emojis).”
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