Declan Rice has been speaking about how he manages his recovery in between Arsenal matches, and it should be a strong warning for Andrea Berta.
Arsenal have already had a Rice injury scare against Brentford after the midfielder went down with a minor calf issue in the 2-0 win last week.
Fortunately, there was no serious damage; however, the 26-year-old was thrust straight back into the team away at Villa Park, just three days later.
The England international is quite possibly the most vital cog in this Arsenal team, and Mikel Arteta simply cannot afford to lose him for a sustained run of games.
Declan Rice on playing twice a week for Arsenal
Declan Rice has admitted that he often struggles to walk just two days after an Arsenal match, and then he has to play again just a few days later.
The Gunners have just entered what is set to be a hectic winter schedule, where they won’t have many clear gameweeks until well into the New Year.
“It’s not after the game, it’s two days after the game, I feel the effects. The next day, I’m a bit sore, but two days after a game, I can’t walk,” Rice told www.arsenal.com.
Declan Rice limped off vs Brentford and it’s exposed Arsenal’s biggest problem…
“Then we might have a game the following day, or the day after. So it can be that I go into a training session the day before a game, feeling shattered, and that’s when I go again for the next one.
“The adrenaline is there after the game, of course, and when that wears off is when you start feeling it.”
Arteta has called for Rice to sign a new contract at the North London club, given just how important he has now become to the squad.
Andrea Berta must sign midfield cover for Declan Rice
One man who should be listening closely to Rice’s latest comments is Andrea Berta, who must now know that his next task is to find cover in midfield.
The one major flaw in Arteta’s current squad, as highlighted by Alan Smith, is Arsenal’s lack of cover for Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
It’s clear that Arteta does not trust Christian Norgaard; meanwhile, Myles Lewis-Skelly appears to be in a similar boat.
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?
Now, with January just around the corner, the Italian director should be looking to line up a deal for a player who can allow Rice the chance to rest.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Ayyoub Bouaddi, although the young midfielder has just signed a new deal with Lille.
Arsenal are in a strong PSR position for the January window, meaning after a solid summer of new additions, they can go again in the winter.
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