Arsenal's preparations for their crucial Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP have been dealt a blow, as Declan Rice is uncertain to participate due to an injury. Rice missed training on Tuesday, and manager Mikel Arteta has expressed caution, stating that a decision on his availability will be made after assessing his condition on Wednesday morning. The midfielder's potential absence would be a significant setback for the Gunners, particularly given the importance of the upcoming match and their subsequent Premier League clash with Manchester City, dubbed a 'title decider'. Arteta attributed Rice's injury to the accumulation of games played, saying, 'He's going to try and do everything he can to be with us, that's for sure.' The club is already missing several key players, including Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Riccardo Calafiori, who were not present during open training on Tuesday.
Saka has been sidelined since suffering an injury while on England duty, but Arteta is hopeful that he will return to action soon, saying, 'It's progression, hopefully it's a matter of days, not weeks.' With Piero Hincapie and Eberechi Eze returning to training, Arsenal will need to find alternative solutions if Rice is unable to play. Potential options include Christian Norgaard, Kai Havertz, or Leandro Trossard, although each comes with its own set of challenges. The uncertainty surrounding Rice's availability adds to the complexity of Arsenal's already daunting task in the Champions League quarter-final and their pursuit of the Premier League title.