Arsenal’s England midfielder has calmed fears over his hamstring after he was seen grabbing the back of his leg late on in the 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates.
The scare came in the 80th minute, when Declan Rice was replaced by Martin Zubimendi. Reports in the Express said new footage showed him crouched on the turf for an extended spell, touching his hamstring after contact with the back of his leg, and then appearing to hobble as he moved.
The Declan Rice injury questions were always going to be loud, because he has dealt with lower-back and hamstring problems since last Christmas. He has spoken openly about the nerve discomfort he played through last season and at the World Cup.
Rice has now answered them himself. In an Instagram story he wrote: “great win yesterday in tough conditions! Feeling good! Onto the next gunners.”
Is the Declan Rice injury a worry for Arsenal?
On the evidence so far, no. Rice says he feels good, and nothing in the reports points to a confirmed injury. Whether the substitution was purely precautionary for an existing complaint remains to be seen, but it is the kind of knock Arsenal will monitor closely.
Rice is also not the only one Mikel Arteta had to think about after the win. Zubimendi, the man who replaced him against Everton, is the obvious cover if Rice needs a rest.
Arsenal injury news after Everton: Calafiori and Gabriel
Riccardo Calafiori also picked up a knock after coming on in the second half. He saw out the game, but Noni Madueke ended up filling in at left-back. Arteta said: “Yeah I wasn’t that mad to change those two from their positions. It was because he had a slight issue, we don’t know what it is, it seems to be something very small, but he was cautious about it.” We have the full picture in our Calafiori injury update.
Gabriel Magalhaes looked to have suffered a serious injury, yet he recovered quickly and scored. Arteta called him “a clear example” of the team’s mentality: “we were all scared. Not because of the way he went down, but the reaction of the players that were next to him. Immediately, he says that he wants to continue, and then he scores a goal to help us win the game.” Ezri Konsa scored the other goal in the 2-0 win, and our earlier Arsenal predicted lineup vs Everton piece has the build-up.
What next for Rice after Everton?
Arsenal face Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, which gives Arteta the chance to rest Rice and manage his minutes before the Premier League trip to Anfield to face Liverpool. Arsenal will continue to monitor all fitness issues as they prepare.
Rice’s ability to cover ground and contribute in both boxes remains important to the Gunners. For now, the player’s own message is the best news fans could have had after Saturday.
