Journalist Charles Watts has now expressed his concerns over a huge challenge Arsenal will face if Declan Rice succumbs to injury.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice came off in the second half against Crystal Palace on Saturday in some discomfort.
After the match, Mikel Arteta admitted that the 25-year-old “was feeling some tiredness. I don’t know exactly what muscle it was but when he says that at 3-0 obviously we don’t want to take any risks,” as quoted by the club’s official website.
It has since been reported that Rice is likely to be okay to play against Nottingham Forest next time out. However, seeing him trudge off against Crystal Palace will have had Arteta and Arsenal fans fearing the worst, providing a stark reminder of how important the former West Ham United man is, and how thin the squad currently is in that part of the pitch.
Thomas Partey is still out with injury, and Mohamed Elneny is currently competing in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. That just leaves Jorginho on hand to cover for Rice.
Jorginho is a useful squad player, and is highly valued by Arteta, but he certainly has his flaws as a player.
Can Thomas Partey and Jorginho save Arsenal if they lose Declan Rice?
Charles Watts has now given his verdict on how the Gunners might fare if Rice were to be sidelined. Speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube platform, the reporter said, “it’s going to be a real shame if Declan Rice is out for any significant period of time. Not least because he’s just a fabulous footballer who Arsenal need and he’s really, really important, but also it comes at a time when Thomas Partey is getting closer and closer to a return, and I think we’ve all been really waiting eagerly to see how Declan Rice and Thomas Partey can, kind of, dovetail together in that Arsenal midfield.”
When Partey becomes available again, it will be easier for Arsenal to cope with Rice’s absence. However, Watts believes that the Ghanaian’s availability would present another problem for Arteta. He stated, “this is just hypothetical…how Arsenal deal with being without Declan Rice for a long chunk of time…I’m not sure you can play Jorginho and Thomas Partey together, and that would be my worry if Declan Rice is out for any significant amount of time…I think that midfield is going to struggle with those two in it. I just don’t think they suit each other’s game perfectly.”
A midfield trio featuring both Partey and Jorginho would lack the running power and final third threat that Arteta values in the part of the pitch. It is unlikely that Arteta would field both midfield veterans at the same time unless injuries to other players or a very specific game state dictated that he must.
It is far more likely, in general, that either Partey or Jorginho would be tasked with protecting the back four, with the more advanced midfield roles given to the likes of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Emile Smith Rowe, Leandro Trossard, or Fabio Vieira.
In any case, Arteta will be hoping that Rice is able to remain fit throughout the remainder of the campaign. That way, Partey’s return will simply represent a welcome boost, and Jorginho can continue to provide a capable rotation option.
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