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Arsenal received a welcome boost on Wednesday night after Declan Rice moved to calm concerns about a potential injury suffered during the club’s 2–0 win over Brentford at the Emirates Stadium. The midfielder reassured reporters that he was “fine” as he left the ground, despite being forced off late in the match.
Rice, 26, who has been among Arsenal’s most influential players in recent weeks, appeared to suffer a muscular problem in the closing minutes of the all-London encounter. The England international pointed to his right calf while seated on the turf, clearly distressed as medical staff assessed the issue.
With Arsenal already in control thanks to goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka, he was replaced by Viktor Gyokeres for the final stages.
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The atmosphere around the stadium grew tenser earlier in the match when Cristhian Mosquera was withdrawn just before half-time after landing awkwardly. Jurrien Timber came on in his place, adding to the defensive strain on a squad already without Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba.
🚨Declan Rice confirms he’s not injured following the game against Brentford last night.
He told Sky Sports he’s “fine”. pic.twitter.com/z7mfIQL4IT
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) December 4, 2025
Despite the injury scares, Arsenal tightened their grip at the top of the Premier League table on a night when title rivals Chelsea fell 3–1 to Leeds United at Elland Road. The relief grew further when Rice appeared through the mixed zone after full-time, walking without assistance and telling Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill he was “fine.”
Manager Mikel Arteta, however, struck a more cautious tone when discussing Rice’s condition. “Obviously it’s never good news. Declan had to come off,” Arteta told reporters. “We don’t know, we have to see tomorrow what he’s got.”
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Pressed for additional details, Arteta reiterated his uncertainty. “He could not carry on playing so we have to wait and see tomorrow what happens,” he said. “They play a lot of minutes but as well when, now we play Wednesday night and we have to play Saturday morning as well.
“We can play minutes but please, give us a little more time to recover and to make the welfare of these players a little bit easier that would be great.”
Arsenal now face a tight turnaround before heading to Aston Villa in two days’ time, leaving Arteta with decisions to make over squad rotation and player welfare. However, Rice’s early indication of fitness offers a significant lift as the league leaders enter a critical stretch of their winter schedule.
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