Declan Rice injury update as Arsenal duo remain sidelined

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The Football Faithful

·17 December 2024

Declan Rice injury update as Arsenal duo remain sidelined

Declan Rice faces a late injury assessment before Mikel Arteta decides whether or not he will feature for Arsenal against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

The Gunners will host the Eagles at the Emirates Stadium for the quarter-finals of the League Cup, with kickoff set for 8pm UK time.

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Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko are still unavailable for selection.

Rice could play a part in the cup tie after he was forced off the pitch during the goalless draw with Everton on Saturday. The midfielder was replaced by Jorginho an hour into the match after taking a knock.

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“He’s fine,” Arteta said. “We will make the decision on whether he’s available or not.”

Calafiori has missed Arsenal‘s last three games with a groin injury, while Zinchenko has been nursing a muscle injury over the same period.

Ben White remains sidelined until the new year after undergoing a minor procedure to mend a joint issue. Takehiro Tomiyasu is still on the treatment while he recovers from a knee injury.

Arteta is not expecting an easy night against a Crystal Palace that has been enjoying a better run of form recently following a poor start to the season.

“It’s always really tough,” he said. “When you look at the results they’ve had recently and their approach it’s always really tough.

“It’s another layer of difficulty particularly when you play a team twice in four days. We’ve prepared for that.”

Arsenal have not won the League Cup since 1993 and last competed in the final in 2011 when they were surprisingly defeated by Birmingham City.

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