Arsenal take on Bournemouth in the Premier League, and fans are all desperate to find out about Declan Rice’s availability.
The England international is one of the Gunners’ most important players, and he has had a fine campaign under Mikel Arteta so far.
However, Rice picked up an injury against Brighton and missed Aston Villa’s trip to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
In his press conference on Friday, Arteta was asked about the midfielder’s availability for the game against Bournemouth.
What’s your prediction for Bournemouth vs Arsenal and who do you think will score the first goal?
Mikel Arteta shares an update on Declan Rice’s injury before Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Bournemouth have not been an easy side for Arsenal to face.
The Cherries, under Andoni Iraola, have become a very formidable team, and they have picked up some big results since he became their manager.
In fact, Bournemouth beat Arsenal home and away last season with an aggregate score of 4-1. That hurt the Gunners’ chances of winning the Premier League title.
Arsenal will hope for a much better result this time around, and if Declan Rice is back fit and available to start the game, it will give them a major boost.
After the Aston Villa game, Arteta said that Rice’s knee was swollen, which is why he could not play.
In his press conference, when asked if the swelling had come down, the Arsenal manager replied, as per Football London: “Not yet, we have another session today, let’s see how he comes today.”
Arsenal linked with three midfielders to sign as backups for Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi
Rice and Martin Zubimendi have formed a tremendous partnership in the middle of Arsenal’s park.
The two midfielders are arguably the best in the Premier League, but if one of them is unavailable, the Gunners become weaker.
With the January transfer window open now, Andrea Berta can sign a new midfielder to provide cover, and the Premier League leaders have been linked with three names.
If you could sign one midfielder from any club in the world to join Arsenal as a backup for Declan Rice, who would it be and why?
Ruben Neves has been discussed at Arsenal after the former Wolves star was offered to them. He is currently at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and is keen to return to Europe.
Berta has sent scouts to watch Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille on multiple occasions, and he is said to be a target for Arsenal in 2026.
Finally, Club Brugge star Aleksandar Stankovic is said to be on the Gunners’ radar, but several other top clubs in Europe are chasing him as well.
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