LONDON, Nov 6 — Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice will miss their Champions League match at Inter Milan through injury, coach Mikel Arteta said yesterday, while the north London side hope Martin Odegaard can return to action after two months on the sidelines.
Rice did not travel to Milan after picking up an injury during Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United at the weekend and the England international will undergo further tests to determine his fitness for Sunday’s game at Chelsea.
“Declan unfortunately picked up an injury against Newcastle. He was able to finish and he wasn’t feeling good the last few days,” Arteta told a press conference.
“We’ll have to assess him on Thursday and see if he’s ready for Chelsea.”
Meanwhile, Arteta will wait to see if skipper Odegaard can play at San Siro today after recovering from an ankle injury suffered in September on international duty with Norway.
“The positive news, Martin it’s great to have him back,” the Spaniard said.
“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.”
Both Arsenal and Inter have seven points after three Champions League games.
Arteta’s side will look to restore morale after a three-game winless streak in the Premier League in what will be the team’s first game after the departure of sporting director Edu.
“Everything happened very quickly. I loved working with him, I really enjoyed being alongside him in this incredible journey. I’m very grateful for everything he’s done for me and the club,” Arteta said about the Brazilian.
“He’s had an amazing opportunity now to do something else in a different role. He feels that’s best for him. We have to respect that. From the bottom of my heart I wish the best for him.
“We have a very strong leadership team and we’re not going to stop right now. The passion to fulfil this journey is not going to stop. That means opportunities for someone else. We say thank you and we have to move on.” — AFP
