Mikel Arteta has dismissed suggestions that Arsenal are not managing Declan Rice's playing time carefully enough, insisting the midfielder is being looked after more than in any other season.
Rice has started all nine of Arsenal's Premier League matches this campaign and played the full 90 minutes in four of the last five. He also started against Slavia Prague in midweek, despite looking visibly tired in the second half, and will now join up with England having missed the previous camp due to load management.
Arteta's firm response
When asked whether there were concerns over Rice's workload, Arteta responded: "Concerns? The only player, the only player in this squad that for two games in the Carabao Cup has been left out of the squad. At home with two days off. That's my concern."
He added: "It's not true. We are really looking after him more than any other season. The way he's training and all the load. That's it. Here are the demands of this football club and you have a player like him. Not only him because there are many others that have even less time. That's it."
No excuses for unusual fixture run
Arteta was equally forceful in insisting his side can have no excuses at the end of an unusual run of fixtures. Of the 15 matches Arsenal have played this season, only five have been at home, with recent away trips to Fleetwood, Liverpool and Prague.
The Gunners return to home action on Saturday against Hull, and Arteta reflected on the demands his team have faced. "No challenge," he said. "It's all a pleasure. I heard them tell me: 'you guys fly with private jets and good buses and good food'. It's beautiful. We have done it. It was what we had ahead of us, it was another challenge."
"Because normally you don't play four away games in a row or three away games in a row. And you don't play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday - very strange. We have done it a few times and we have to do it tomorrow again. We are buzzing."
