Declan Rice was forced off at half-time during the weekend’s north London derby.
Mikel Arteta revealed after the game that Rice had been complaining of a back problem during the first half of the derby and was unable to carry on after an assessment at the interval:
“He had some discomfort in his back,” Arteta said on Sunday. “He was telling us during the first half that he was uncomfortable and when we assessed him at half-time he could not continue, so we had to change him.”
When asked if Rice could be facing a while on the sidelines, he added: “Hopefully not. We have to assess him. It’s strange when a player like him asks to come off because he’s uncomfortable. Hopefully not, but let’s see.”
Next up is Bukayo Saka. It has been reported that the winger is still struggling with an Achilles issue sustained towards the end of last season, but he has been able to play through it so far.
It is added that a rest may well be in order against Brentford, but it doesn’t seem likely at this stage that he will miss any time beyond that.
Arsenal’s trip to Bournemouth on Saturday might see him make a comeback in some capacity.
Salford City vs Burnley betting tips: Carabao Cup preview, predictions and odds
