Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has faced the media ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Sporting CP on Tuesday night.
The Gunners are travelling to Portugal for a tough tie in European action, with a place in the top-eight still up for grabs.
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Inter Milan last time out, leaving the side in 12th with seven points from the opening four games.
Sporting CP will be far from an easy customer though, having recently thrashed Manchester City 4-1 in the competition.
It means Mikel Arteta will be banking on his key players being available and at their very best, one of which is Declan Rice.
The Arsenal midfielder has recently been out of action, with the manager giving an update on his condition ahead of the Champions League clash.
On top of that, he gave the latest on Kieran Tierney, who is finally closing in on a return to action after a nasty lay-off.
Declan Rice injury update for Sporting CP vs Arsenal
Declan Rice has been an injury doubt for the past few weeks, having picked up a foot issue before the international break – which saw the midfielder withdraw from the England camp.
He was then benched for Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest over the weekend, with uncertainty surrounding his availability.
As for Kieran Tierney, he picked up an injury during Euro 2024, suffering a knee injury with Scotland that has seen him out of action for a while.
The left-back could make the next big step towards recovery by earning some minutes in Portugal on Tuesday.
Arteta gave a fresh update on Rice and Tierney when he spoke to the media ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Sporting.
He said: “Everybody here is fully fit to start the game and a bonus as well because we have Kieran Tierney with us after a long injury. Great news that he’s back and he’s available to participate.”
Arteta has been coy on injuries in the past, rarely giving much away before the game and keeping the opposition guessing, but it appears as though he has given the game away with Rice.
It remains to be seen whether Rice or Tierney will start, though they were both spotted training and travelling with the rest of the Arsenal squad to Portugal.
- READ MORE: Arsenal predicted lineup, latest team and injury news as Ethan Nwaneri decision made vs Sporting CP
Arsenal squad depth options to replace Declan Rice and Kieran Tierney
Should Rice not be available from the start, there are some other players available to Arteta in the squad to play in midfield.
Thomas Partey and Jorginho have regularly played in the defensive midfield position, covering in the deeper areas when required.
In the more advanced areas, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard or Ethan Nwaneri are available to play and knit the team together.
| Position | Player |
| Defensive midfield | Jorginho |
| Defensive midfield | Thomas Partey |
| Midfield | Mikel Merino |
| Midfield/attacking midfield | Martin Odegaard |
| Midfield/attacking midfield | Ethan Nwaneri |
If Arsenal look on the side of caution, avoiding the risk of playing Rice, then there are plenty of different options available.
As for Tierney, it would be a surprise to see him involved so soon after making a return to training at Arsenal.
The left-back has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but given the competition in front of him there may be a chance to get involved in a slower and more measured fashion.
Left-backs available for the tie include:
- Riccardo Calafiori
- Jurrien Timber
- Jakub Kiwior
- Oleksandr Zinchenko
- Myles Lewis-Skelly
It remains to be seen which players may be picked though, with some big decisions to be made in the hunt for a top-eight finish in the Champions League.
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