Declan Rice Withdraws From England Squad After Arsenal Injury Concern

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has withdrawn from England’s latest squad because of an injury, according to the Football Association, providing another concern for Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s disappointing weekend defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Rice is one of five players who have pulled out of England’s squad ahead of the upcoming Nations League fixtures. Reuters reports that Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Tino Livramento and Kobbie Mainoo have also withdrawn because of injuries. England are scheduled to face Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia during the international period.

The news comes only days after Rice played in Arsenal’s 3–0 defeat against Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, with Brighton scoring through Pascal Groß, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andrés. Mikel Arteta criticised his team’s performance after the match, saying the players had failed to “respect the game.”

Rice was also involved in a controversial incident during the Brighton match. The midfielder appeared to kick out at Brighton’s Malick Yalcouyé late in the game and received a yellow card. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has since supported the decision not to send Rice off, according to reports.

The decision to withdraw Rice from international duty is particularly significant because he has had a heavy workload. Arseblog reports that he played 55 games for Arsenal last season and has started Arsenal’s five league matches and Champions League game since returning from his post-World Cup break.

Arsenal supporters will now wait for further information on Rice’s condition and his expected return. For Arteta, managing the midfielder’s fitness during the extended international break could be important as Arsenal prepare for the next stage of the season.

Source: Reuters, Sky Sports, Arseblog

What do you think, Arsenal fans? Should Arteta give Declan Rice extra rest when he returns?