Arsenal dealt blow as Declan Rice set to miss UCL clash against Inter Milan
Declan Rice has not traveled with the Arsenal squad to Italy for their UEFA Champions League clash against Inter Milan on Wednesday (November 6). The Gunners are currently ninth in the UCL's league phase table with seven points from three fixtures.
Arsenal have been ravaged by injuries this season as several of their key players have missed significant periods. Players like Martin Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Riccardo Calafiori have sat out a number of matches for the Gunners this season.
Declan Rice has become the latest injury concern as he is set to miss out on the clash with Inter Milan. The England international played the entirety of Arsenal’s clash against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.
However, he was absent from the squad that showed up at London Colney for training on Tuesday, raising concerns about a new fitness issue for Mikel Arteta to deal with. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Rice hasn't traveled with the rest of the squad as a precautionary measure. The club took the decision in order to prevent any serious or long-term injury for the player.
Amidst Declan Rice’s fitness concern, Arsenal fans have something to be happy about as their captain Martin Odegaard was trained with the squad on Tuesday. The Norwegian midfielder is expected to travel to Italy for the Champions League tie.
Odegaard has been out of action since he suffered an ankle injury in Norway’s 2-1 Nations League win over Austria in September.
Simone Inzaghi says Inter Milan will fight to keep possession against Arsenal
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has stated that his side will try to control possession when they face Mikel Arteta’s men in the Champions League.
The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle when they play Inter. While Arsenal are yet to lose a game in the UCL this season, they are winless in their last three Premier League fixtures.
In the pre-match press conference, Inzaghi said (via The Independent):
“It is likely that they (Arsenal) have reasons for revenge. I watched them play against Newcastle, but playing away to them is really tough. It was an interesting match, but we know that we will be facing a side that will want to put on a show.”
After playing the Gunners, Inter Milan will face Napoli in Serie A on Sunday, November 10. When Inzaghi was asked which match his side needed to win more, he said:
“We will need to win both matches. We know we’re up against two very strong teams, but our focus is on tomorrow. Arsenal are very well known, with a great coach like Arteta and a clear identity, aggressive and dynamic. They’ve gone toe-to-toe with Manchester City in the last two seasons and they’re one of the strongest sides in Europe. Arsenal are our top priority, last year they went far and are one of the favourites to win the competition.”
On being asked if he expects a similar test to the 0-0 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad in September, Inzaghi said:
“In theory, we’ll try to have the ball as much as possible, but they know how to press offensively and very well. We know that it’ll be a problem for us when we don’t have the ball, but it’s the same for them when we have the ball. With English football we’re talking about a brand of football that everyone likes. It’s fascinating, but I’m really happy at Inter. We’re one of the best sides in Europe.”