Arteta Reveals Why Rice and Zubimendi Missed FA Cup Tie

Mikel Arteta share reasons behind Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi absence in Arsenal FA Cup victory against Mansfield Town.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi absence from the FA Cup fifth-round match against Mansfield Town.

The Premier League leaders secured a 2-1 victory at Field Mill, but neither midfielder travelled with the team. Arteta later confirmed that both players managed minor fitness issues and rested because of the demanding schedule Arsenal currently face.

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Arteta made significant changes to the team that defeated Brighton earlier in the week, rotating heavily for the cup tie.

Teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon started in the lineup, while senior players such as Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, and Eberechi Eze began the match on the bench.

Despite the changes, Arsenal managed to secure the result they needed.

Noni Madueke opened the scoring late in the first half before Mansfield striker Will Evans equalised shortly after the break. Substitute Eberechi Eze later scored the winning goal to send Arsenal into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Arteta Explains Rice and Zubimendi Decision

After the match, Arteta confirmed that Rice and Zubimendi were dealing with minor issues and that the club chose to rest them as a precaution.

“Well, they had issues and they’ve been carrying issues,” Arteta explained.

“With the amount of games that we’re playing it’s extremely demanding. It was the right moment to try and clean those issues so they can start the next sequence of games in the best possible way.”

The Arsenal boss made it clear that the decision was about protecting the players during a busy period rather than responding to any serious injury.

Arsenal remain involved in several competitions, meaning squad management has become increasingly important.

The club currently sits at the top of the Premier League while also competing in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Arteta acknowledged that the demanding fixture list has forced the coaching staff to carefully monitor player fitness.

Rice has been a crucial figure in Arsenal’s midfield since joining the club from West Ham, while Zubimendi has quickly become an important presence following his arrival from Real Sociedad.

The Mansfield match also saw two other Arsenal players forced off with minor issues.

Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori both left the pitch during the game after experiencing discomfort, although Arteta later described the problems as “little niggles”.

Both players are expected to be assessed ahead of the next round of fixtures.

Arsenal Focus on Crucial Run of Fixtures

Arsenal now turn their attention to an important sequence of matches that includes a Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen and domestic fixtures in the Premier League.

With the international break approaching soon after, Arteta appears to have used the Mansfield match as an opportunity to manage the workload of key players.

Rice and Zubimendi are both expected to return soon as Arsenal prepare for the decisive stage of the season.

For Arteta, careful squad management could prove essential as the Gunners continue their push for silverware across multiple competitions.

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