Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has explained the reason behind Declan Rice's absence for their Champions League clash against Inter Milan.
Rice didn't travel to Milan for Wednesday's clash at the San Siro and there were fears that he could be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta addressed Declan Rice's absence for his side's Champions League clash
The Spaniard had already been left without Norwegian star Martin Odegaard since he returned from international duty injured after suffering ankle ligament damage in September.
Arteta has now clarified why Rice did not travel to Italy for the tricky away tie against the Serie A champions, revealing he picked up an injury in their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday.
"Declan unfortunately picked an injury against Newcastle," Arteta said. "He was able to finish and he wasn't feeling good the last few days. "We'll have to assess him on Thursday and see if he's ready for Chelsea.
Losing Rice will be regarded as a massive blow as the 25-year-old has made 12 appearances across the Premier League and Champions League this term.
But the Gunners boss has received a boost following the surprise news that his captain Odegaard not only travelled with the squad but is also poised to return to the first-team.
"The positive news, Martin... it's great to have him back," he added. "He trained with us first time today. He's a bit earlier than expected.
"But it's great to have him here and we will decide if we use him tomorrow.
Odegaard hasn't featured for the north London side since the 1-1 draw with Brighton on August 31, missing crunch games against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City - as well as defeats to Bournemouth and Newcastle.
Arteta has been forced to cope with several injuries in the early weeks of the season, with Ben White amongst those to return to action at the weekend.
Despite Odegaard's absence, Arsenal have made solid progress in the Champions League in the league phase. The Gunners are unbeaten after three matches and have already overcome PSG and Shakhtar Donetsk at home following their goalless draw away at Atalanta.
But facing Simone Inzaghi's Inter Milan, who held Manchester City to a goalless draw at the San Siro earlier in the competition, promises to be a tough test without Rice patrolling the midfield.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Newcastle have submitted an improved €80+10m for Sesko Arsenal 2025/26 Third Jersey Manchester United 2025 Premier League Summer Series Champions Newcastle & Leipzig & Manutd They're not the same. Aubameyang shined in Saudi Arabia and made his return to Olympique de Marseille.🇳🇱 Luuk de Jong was Eredivisie top scorer and champion — ...

Newcastle up efforts to sign Sesko as possible Isak replacementAccording to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are pushing ahead to sign Benjamin Sesko after being 'given encouragement' to sign the RB Leipzig striker. The report adds that the Slovenia international is Newcastle's top attacking target, with Eddie Howe's team keen to move quickly to agree terms with Leipzig over a deal.Chelsea urged to beat ...

[(AZ Alkmaar) Strength]: 1. AZ Alkmaar finished 5th in the Eredivisie last season, securing a Conference League spot. They aim to qualify for the Champions League this season. Facing FC Groningen in the opener at home, they are eager to start with a win.2. AZ Alkmaar signed forwards Mateo Chavez and Isak Jensen in the summer window.3. AZ Alkmaar finished 5th with 16 wins, 9 draws, and 9 losses in ...
[(FK Haugesund) Weakness]: 1. FK Haugesund are at the bottom of the league table. Facing 10th-placed Sarpsborg 08 FF, they are going to lose this home game, indicating a lack of motivation.2. FK Haugesund had multiple injured players lately, who will all miss this league game.3. FK Haugesund are still winless in the league this season so far, showing poor form. They lost 2-0 to Stromsgodset in the...
[(Orlando City) Strength]: 1. Orlando City player Muriel scored three goals in the last game, completing a hat-trick and delivering an outstanding performance.2. Orlando City have achieved successive wins after beating Club Necaxa 5-1 in their last game, with good form.3. Orlando City have scored eight goals in their last two games, with strong attacking force.4. The AH line is -0.5 for the home s...
[(Los Angeles Galaxy) Strength]: 1. Marco Reus has scored 5 goals for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer this season and is the team's top scorer.2. On August 8th, in the third round of the Leagues Cup, Los Angeles Galaxy won 4-0 at home against Liga MX team Santos Laguna, during which the young Brazilian player Matheus Nascimento scored a brace and performed outstandingly.3. Los Angeles Ga...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura are 8th in the table and on an 8-game winless run. They urgently need to return to winning ways, indicating strong motivation in this game.2. Martti Haukioja scored first in the last game, once helping the team take the lead.3. Vaasan Palloseura won 3 games in a row between both sides, giving them a better mentality.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Neutral]...
[(Crystal Palace F.C.) Strength]: 1. Crystal Palace F.C. won the FA Cup last season, earning them a spot in the FA Community Shield. The team will go all out for victory in this match to add another trophy to their cabinet, showing strong determination.2. In the summer transfer window, Crystal Palace F.C. only made a low-cost signing of defender Borna Sosa and signed goalkeeper Walter Benitez on a...
[(Degerfors IF) Strength]: 1. Degerfors IF are deep in the relegation zone, ranking 15th in the league table and 6 points away from the safe zone. In this home match, they are motivated to grab points to avoid relegation.2. Degerfors IF won the last 2 league games against BK Hacken, including a 1-0 win in the last home game.[(Degerfors IF) Weakness]: 1. Degerfors IF suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat ...
[(Zhejiang Professional F.C.) Strength]: 1. Zhejiang Professional F.C. are 6th in the table and on a 3-game winning streak. They will go all out to continue winning in this game, indicating strong motivation.2. Alexandru Mitrita scored a goal and made an assist in the last game, helping the team win.3. Zhejiang Professional F.C. won 4-2 over Shenzhen Peng City in the last game, securing a 3-game w...


- 1 PSG Willing to Sell Lucas Beraldo – But Only If Two Demands Are Met Amid Premier League Interest
- 2 TIPS - FCSB VS KF Drita Gjilan
- 3 TIPS - Lincoln Red Imps VS FC Noah
- 4 TIPS - Rigas Futbola Skola VS KuPS
- 5 Juventus Eye Fresh Bid for Chelsea Defender Renato Veiga, But Serie A Club Must First Sell Ex-Newcastle Star
- 6 TIPS - FC Kairat Almaty VS SK Slovan Bratislava
- 7 Man City loanee Simpson-Pusey ready to prove himself at Celtic: This is a big opportunity!
- 8 TIPS - Orlando City VS Club Necaxa
- 9 Three-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka drives fans wild
- 10 TIPS - FC Kaiserslautern VS Schalke 04