Arsenal have a major problem with Declan Rice and there’s a key stat that proves it

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For many Arsenal fans, Declan Rice is considered the first name on the team-sheet.

Rice was integral for both Arsenal and England over the entire season and while he ended the season with just a bronze medal at the World Cup, nobody can deny he gave it everything.

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But while giving his all is part of Rice’s make up and he will never back down from playing when needed, it does give Arsenal a big issue for next season.

In fact, you only need to look at one key metric to understand just how much of a problem Arsenal might have.

Declan Rice’s minutes played is a huge problem for Arsenal this coming season

Any top player is going to play a lot of games for their team and country. It’s just how it is when you’re among the best in your position in the world.

However, when we look at Rice’s minutes played for Arsenal and England in the last campaign, it’s a bit of a worry.

Aside from David Raya, no Arsenal player played more minutes than Rice domestically. Rice played a total of 4164 minutes, with Raya playing north of 4500.

Interestingly though, no other Arsenal player played more than 4000 minutes over the course of the season and when you add the international minutes to Rice’s output, it comes in at a whopping 5394.

Indeed, there are said to be concerns among some at The Emirates that Rice is very much running on empty.

Arsenal have already decided to give Rice an extended break and he will return later than most players this summer. But while that rest is key, there are also worries about the potential for injuries as well.

With this in mind, it’s now vital that Arsenal manage Rice perfectly. He remains a key player and integral to Mikel Arteta’s plans.

But if Rice comes back tired, over-worked, and at worst, injured early in the season, then this will only impact the Gunners negatively.

As far as Arsenal’s medical team go right now, they need to earn their money more than ever.