Various reports this evening say that Declan Rice’s absence from Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan was because he suffered a broken toe in the 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Saturday.
It leaves the midfielder a doubt for our trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, although some journalists are saying he is preparing to play through the pain for Arsenal – as well as England.
Rice has been named in Lee Carsley’s squad for upcoming Nations League ties with Greece and the Republic of Ireland, but Arsenal will undoubtedly be unhappy with his participation if he is carrying an injury and there’s a risk of exacerbating it.
It might give Mikel Arteta some thinking to do about Sunday. Rice is a hugely important player for the Gunners, but if he plays against Chelsea, England will feel he’ll be available for them.
Given the circumstances, and our need to get back to winning ways on Sunday, it’s certainly a complication the Arsenal manager could do without.
Meanwhile, Thomas Partey has not been included in Ghana’s squad for upcoming AFCON qualifiers.
Mikel must have walked under a ladder with a black cat and a broken mirror.
The silver lining maybe is that none of the injuries this season have been really bad ones. All minor short/ midterm injuries. So if we manage to keep the squad more or less fit for the second half of the season only very few players will have had an overload and that could help during the run in.
Odegaard’s injury is worse than ACL for two other players.
How so? ACL means 12 months out…
The impact on the team worse than two other teammates having ACL.
That’s a very rusty silver lining. Like you really have to squint hard to see it. It feels like the overload already happened, and now the players are breaking down one after the other and this just doesn’t feel like our year. Sure hope I’m wrong but it feels like the constant injuries and fatigue and shitty PGMOL decisions just completely knocked the wind out of out sails and it’s gonna be hard to get it back, at least for the league. There’s still enough time to try and get some of that mojo rising in time for the Champions… Read more »
13 times.
Play Merino. Fuck the interlull
We need Partey back in central midfield and maybe Jorginho. I’m not sure Merino was that well when he came off at half time vs Inter, let along the double-handed punch he took to the head.
I think Jorgi could give us something different. We know he can pick a pass and not afraid to try a killer ball. We’ll need some of that to get us firing again.
Yes, I agree we need his playmaking and tempo control on the ball. I’m guessing Mikel is worried about him getting bypassed too easily when we press high. His last game was Tottenham away. We got the points but it was not a great performance in terms of controlling the game, because we just sat him in the center to prevent their halfspace adventures and we never came out much. It worked, just. With Rice next to him though it would…. Well shit.
Yeah maybe not against Chelsea. He could’ve been used a bit more the past few weeks though. Against a deep block especially I think he’s the best at the little chip over the top and finding runners that way.
100%
What’s the downside to Rice just saying, or any player for that matter, saying ‘sorry, I can’t play for the national team, I have to save anything I have for the job that pays me millions of dollars a year?’
Yeah this is the bit I really don’t understand. He should have a chat with our former world class left back who is now 6th choice. Tierney’s career has been ended at the top level because of injuries, and several times it’s because he went away with Scotland while half-fit and came back absolutely broken.
I think Rice left all his physical form in the Euro last summer.
He had a bad euros but yeah he has nothing in the tank because of it.
Painful though it might be, I’d prefer to see him miss Chelsea and therefore not play for England. A 3 week break might help him rediscover some real form.
Yea, I agree, get him to Dubai with his family a physio a strength and conditioning coach and whatever else he needs for 3 weeks. Come back rested and ready to fight. Its a long season and he needs a break. Now is the time to do it.
Declan will have to take a leaf out of Monty Python’s ‘ Black Knight’ sketch. It’s only a scratch, come back and fight you coward!! Said by the legless and armless knight. Seriously though, the physical demands of top prof players are overwhelming- and it’s not only Arsenal lads who have to try to get to grips with it. It’s becoming more like a Roman gladiator show than footie.. Get well soon Mr. Rice
Honestly, you couldn’t make it up, could you?
It’s like some kind of horror show!
Oh and Club before Country every time – unless said Country wants to pay the lost wages of any players injured in the course of National play.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”
Kennedy
“take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won’t you please take me home”
Rose
“Yeahyeah”
Slash
“Ask not you can do for your country. Ask what your country can do for you”
Megadeth
Make Arsenal Great Again
Amen!
Fuck off with your trumpisms.
He’s looked knackered since the first leg vs Bayern last season. Give the man a well-earned rest and play Jorginho at Chelsea so he sits out the nations league nonsense
How can you play football with a “Broken toe”? Must be a hairline fracture of one of the smaller toes, otherwise I can’t see how he could push off that foot. Any orthopods out there?
Sounds completely insane to me too. I mean you can probably set it in a splint with the toe next to it, so you’re pushing off that other toe and probably get pain injections before games, but who knows what kind of long term damage you might do and given he wasn’t anywhere near his best even before that this season I hope they do the sane thing and just shut him down. He’ll probably still want to play for club and country because he’s a sicko but just slip some ketamine into his protein shake.
Quick amputation maybe? If it’s not the big toe.
Chelsea now knows. There will be lots of stepping and kicking. Suggest Rice rest, otherwise we will waste a substitution.
Win some cups this year.
Sounds crazy to think of a footballer playing football with a broken toe
Broke my toe 4 weeks ago. Third on left foot, pain subside after two weeks, and been able to walk outside only from last week. But then again I’m under NHS treatment, budding tape to next toe and double Rices age. The healing of the pinky toe 4 years ago was much faster and painless
I had an in-grown toenail removed yesterday. Pretty painful, but oh, the relief. Hope Declan gets well soon. He’s so damn solid when in form.
I’d love to see a Partey Merino Nwaneri midfield.