Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of midfielder Declan Rice after the England international limped off at Villa Park during the Gunners' 1-0 Premier League victory against Aston Villa.
Bukayo Saka’s 59th-minute goal ultimately secured all three points for Mikel Arteta’s side, but the win came at a cost.
In the 85th minute, Rice was forced off while visibly limping, with Martin Zubimendi taking his place to see out the closing moments. Just six minutes prior to Rice's departure, centre-back Cristhian Mosquera went down holding his thigh and was replaced by Ezri Konsa, handing Arteta a worrying double injury blow.
Declan Rice limps off after summer of injury discontent
While Arsenal are yet to clarify whether Rice’s substitution was a precautionary measure following a knock or indicative of a muscle strain, his departure did set alarm bells ringing.
Rice had persistent fitness issues over the summer while representing England at the 2026 World Cup, where he reportedly suffered from neural pain affecting his lower back and hamstrings.
Those physical issues were likely the byproduct of a demanding 2025/26 campaign for Arsenal, during which Rice featured 55 times for the club and made 49 starts.
Adding to the concern is the short turnaround Rice had between international duty and returning to club action.
Following England’s final World Cup match on July 18, Rice was granted less than four weeks of rest before joining Arsenal's pre-season preparations and featuring in the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 16.
With William Saliba already ruled out for the foreseeable future after suffering a back injury during the World Cup, losing Rice would be a major blow.
Arteta will hope the midfielder's issue proves minor as Arsenal evaluate his condition ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
