Declan Rice played down fears that he may have picked up a serious injury after Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Brentford, reassuring reporters he was ‘fine’ as he left the Emirates.
The 26-year-old central midfielder, arguably Arsenal’s standout performer in recent weeks, went down with a suspected calf problem in the closing stages of Wednesday’s all-London affair.
It was clear Rice was in some discomfort as he spoke with Arsenal’s medical staff while sat on the turf, with the England international pictured pointing at his right calf.
It quickly became obvious Rice was unable to continue and Viktor Gyokeres came on to play out the remaining minutes as Bukayo Saka added to Mikel Merino’s early strike to wrap up another convincing win for the Gunners.
There was also some concern surrounding a possible injury to Cristhian Mosquera, who landed awkwardly and had to be replaced by Jurrien Timber on the stroke of half-time.
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The injuries to Rice and Mosquera took some of the gloss off an otherwise dream night for the runaway Premier League leaders, with title rivals Chelsea slumping to a 3-1 defeat to Leeds at Elland Road.
However, it appears Arsenal fans can breathe a sigh of relief regarding Rice’s fitness – which comes as a huge boost ahead of the club’s busy winter schedule.
Despite walking through the mixed zone with a slight limp, Rice was filmed telling Sky Sports News that he was ‘fine’.
It remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta will be prepared to risk Rice when Top-of-the-table Arsenal return to action away to Aston Villa in just two days’ time.
More to follow.