Another injury blow for Arsenal! Declan Rice misses out on Champions League trip to Inter as Gunners sweat over fitness of £105m midfielder

This surprising development comes after Rice played a full 90 minutes in the Premier League fixture on Saturday, where Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United. The midfielder’s absence from the training session on Tuesday morning at London Colney raised questions over his fitness. Manager Mikel Arteta later told a press conference he sustained a problem during the loss at St James' Park and will be assessed.

The England international has been a key figure in Arsenal’s lineup since his £105m ($137m) arrival from West Ham in 2023. He has only missed two games for Arsenal this season – one due to suspension and another as a precaution - and Arteta will be forced to rethink his midfield configuration with the English midfielder unavailable. Arsenal’s lineup will continued to be depleted with defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu also ruled out for Wednesday’s match due to injuries.

While Rice’s situation remains uncertain, Arsenal received a lift with the return of team captain Martin Odegaard, who has resumed full training. He has been sidelined since sustaining an ankle injury during international duty with Norway in early September, missing 12 matches across competitions. His return to fitness provides Arteta with a creative option in the midfield.

Arsenal enter Wednesday’s match with a strong record in the Champions League, having gone unbeaten and kept clean sheets in all their group stage matches. The Gunners have already claimed victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk, alongside a scoreless draw with Atalanta, which sees them level on seven points with Inter. Another victory over the Serie A giants will be a major step in their bid for a direct qualification spot for the round of 16.