Arsenal’s injury troubles deepen as Mikel Arteta reveals a fresh concern.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Declan Rice requested to be substituted during the weekend’s 0-0 draw with Everton. The midfielder was replaced by Jorginho shortly after the hour mark due to a minor issue. Arteta explained post-match that Rice had been dealing with a slight niggle over the past week and asked to come off as a precaution.

Rice, who has been a key figure for Arsenal this season with 20 appearances across all competitions, will now aim to recover in time for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace. His absence would add to Arsenal’s growing injury list, which includes Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Arteta also faced questions about his decision to substitute captain Martin Odegaard for youngster Ethan Nwaneri during the game, a move that puzzled some fans. He defended the choice as a tactical gamble, stating, “If Ethan scores, it’s a great sub. If not, you’ve taken your captain off. That’s football.”

Despite a solid defensive display, Arsenal missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, who were held to a draw by Fulham. The result leaves the Gunners six points behind the Reds in the title

race.