Mikel Arteta has suffered an injury scare after he revealed that Declan Rice suffered a back injury in the Arsenal-Spurs encounter.
The draw in the North London derby was not the only issue the Gunners had, they also lost their club-record £105million summer signing at half-time.
Rice was substituted as part of a double change by Arteta with Jorginho and Kai Havertz coming on for him and Fabio Vieira.
Declan Rice, 24, was then seen in the stands with his leg strapped up and he watched the rest of the match alongside Aaron Ramsdale.
Though this caused massive fear in Arsenal camp, Mikel Arteta revealed that it was another issue that made the midfielder not continue.
Mikel Arteta in a post-match conference after the stalemate with Tottenham stated that: “He had some discomfort in his back.”
“He was telling us during the first half that he was uncomfortable and when we assessed him at half-time he could not continue, so we had to change him.”
The Arsenal Manager was further quizzed on whether Rice would be out for the short or medium term, he added: “Hopefully not. We have to assess him.”
“It’s strange when a player like him asks to come off because he’s uncomfortable. Hopefully not, but let’s see.”
Mikel Arteta has included Declan Rice in all of Arsenal’s games this term and had played every minute in the Premier League until today.
Mikel Arteta and the rest of the Arsenal fanbase will be hoping that the big-money buy will not be facing an extended period out with a host of big games on the horizon.
Arsenal will face Brentford midweek in the Carabao Cup before a trip to Bournemouth on Saturday in the Premier League.
However, the Gunners will also face Lens away in the Champions League before they face London rivals Chelsea and Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
Mikel Arteta and his men are currently in the 5th position in the Premier League after the draw and level on points with Tottenham and 4 points behind Manchester City.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice is an English footballer who was born on 14th January, 1999 and plays as a defensive midfielder for Arsenal and the England national team.
Rice began his professional career at West Ham United, having been released by Chelsea’s academy, and proceeded to establish himself as a key first-team player.
The player has a song titled with his name which was sung by Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck.
The song title “Declan Rice” was released on 24 March 2023 through NATIVE Records and Def Jam Recordings.
You can download the song on MP3 by clicking on this link HERE.
Declan Rice Salary
Declan Rice signed a 5-year / £62,400,000 contract with the Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.
His salary includes an annual average salary of £12,480,000 and in 2023, Rice will earn a base salary of £12,480,000, while carrying a cap hit of £12,480,000.
Declan Rice Wife
Unlike Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, Declan Rice is unmarried but he has a long-term girlfriend named Lauren Fryer.
In August 2022, Rice confirmed the birth of his first child, a son, with his long-term girlfriend, Lauren Fryer.
