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Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Declan Rice suffered an injury during Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Everton, resulting in his withdrawal from the match.
Arsenal’s injury crisis has taken a turn for the worse following their recent draw with Everton. Mikel Arteta confirmed that Declan Rice was forced off the pitch due to an injury, adding to the growing list of absentees that already includes Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Arteta revealed that Rice had been dealing with a minor niggle for the past week and decided to come off during the match to avoid aggravating the injury. “He’s been with a little niggle for the last week or so, and he asked to be taken off,” Arteta explained. “We have to do it.”
The situation is particularly concerning as Arsenal prepares for their upcoming fixtures, including a crucial Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace. With several key players sidelined, Arteta will need to rely on the depth of his squad and potentially look for reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Despite the challenges, Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s ability to cope. “It’s what it is,” he said. “At the end, if we have to accept the challenge and its opportunities for other players to do that. In the ideal scenario, we have to be in charge to make those decisions because it’s forcing us to make it for the wrong reasons, but as well, we need to accept the reality and move forwards.”
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