One thing Mikel Arteta must now do after Declan Rice update before Arsenal v Forest

Add as preferred source on Google

There is some doubt over whether Declan Rice will be fit to start for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal are set to take on Nottingham Forest this evening, which may come around too soon for Declan Rice, fitness-wise.

The former West Ham United man picked up a knock against Crystal Palace last time out. Mikel Arteta confirmed yesterday that Rice would be subject to a late fitness test ahead of kick-off at the City Ground. Gabriel Magalhaes will also be put through a similar process to determine if he is ready to start against Nottingham Forest.

If Rice is deemed unfit to start against Nottingham Forest, then Arteta will find that he has limited options to choose from when it comes to picking a replacement at the base of the midfield trio. 

Despite being back in training with the first team squad, Thomas Partey has already been ruled out of contention for a place in the Arsenal team for this match, as he is still not quite back to full strength following his long-term injury lay-off.

Given Partey’s absence, Jorginho is the obvious choice to step into the Arsenal starting XI in Rice’s place, if required.

What Jorginho can offer Arsenal

Jorginho can absolutely be relied upon in matches such as this. Whilst the 32-year-old has his flaws as a player, as he lacks pace and can be exposed if caught out of position when teams counter-attack against Arsenal, he also offers plenty of quality. The £12 million former Chelsea man is an excellent passer of the ball, and has previously been hailed for his intelligence and leadership skills. 

Arteta has already come under fire this season for underusing Jorginho. So far, the 50-cap Italy international as made 12 Premier League appearances, of which just four have come as part of the starting XI. Across all competition, Jorginho has racked up 20 appearances, including 10 starts.

Jorginho’s lack of regular involvement has led to speculation about his future. He has been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium this month. As things stand, his contract is also set to expire at the end of the current campaign. The Gunners have an option to extend his current terms by one year, but are yet to trigger it. Jorginho’s agent has also admitted that talks over a new deal with Arsenal have reached a “standstill”.