Declan Rice adds to Arsenal injury crisis by missing Aston Villa clash
Key Arsenal midfielder misses Villa clash through injury
- Declan Rice was absent from the Arsenal squad to face Aston Villa due to a knee injury sustained during the previous game against Brighton.
- The midfielder completed the Brighton fixture despite the injury, which caused significant swelling, leading to his omission from the Villa squad to prevent further aggravation.
- Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta indicated that Rice's absence is expected to be short-term, anticipating his return once the swelling subsides.
- Rice's injury exacerbates Arsenal's ongoing injury crisis, which has impacted several key players, particularly in defence, over the festive period.
- However, there were positive injury updates for Arsenal, with Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes starting, and Ben White and Kai Havertz returning to the bench against Aston Villa.