Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has provided an update after suffering an alarming injury during the Gunners' crucial 2-0 Premier League victory over Brentford on Wednesday night.
Midfielder Forced Off in Emirates Win
The 26-year-old England international, who had delivered another commanding performance, was substituted in the 83rd minute at the Emirates Stadium with a suspected calf problem. Rice made way for Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres as Mikel Arteta's side secured three vital points to strengthen their title challenge.
Speaking after the match, a concerned Arteta admitted the situation looked worrying. "Obviously it's never good news," the Arsenal manager said. "Declan had to come off. We don't know. We have to see tomorrow what he's got. He can walk. He cannot play."
Arteta highlighted the relentless schedule as a potential factor, noting: "The thing is, he's played a lot of minutes but as well, now we played Wednesday night and we have to play Saturday morning as well." The win, sealed by goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka, extended Arsenal's lead at the Premier League summit to five points.
Rice's Social Media Response After Injury
Following the final whistle, Rice took to Instagram, posting three stories that hinted at a positive mindset despite the setback. His first post showed him walking onto the pitch with the caption: "+3 back to winning ways [red love heart emoji]."
A second clip featured him emerging from the tunnel, while a third captured a moment with England colleague and former Brentford striker Ivan Toney. Rice wrote alongside it: "Good to see my brother! ! @ivantoney1 [red love heart emoji]."
The match against Thomas Frank's side was Arsenal's fourth fixture in just ten days, following encounters with Tottenham, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea.
Arteta's Fixture Schedule Frustration
The Arsenal boss did not hold back in criticising the congested calendar, making a passionate plea for change to protect players. "It's probably not one thing, but we can help the players and everybody in the league," Arteta stated.
He argued for more common sense, suggesting: "To everybody in general, I think we can do that because we're going to benefit from that. We've never had such a schedule on every level, not only in the Premier League, but every competition internationally as well."
"I think at some point this becomes too much, you know, and the players are not machines," Arteta concluded, emphasising the physical toll on his squad.
Arsenal now face a quick turnaround before a challenging lunchtime trip to face Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday. All eyes will be on Rice's fitness assessment, with the Gunners hoping their key midfielder has avoided serious damage in their pursuit of the Premier League title.
