Arsenal hhas confirmed that Declan Rice will be absent from the match against Liverpool due to an injury.
Rice, who played the full 90 minutes for the Gunners against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final second leg, is not included in the matchday squad at Anfield.
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, admitted before kick-off that Rice is “not fit”. “Declan couldn’t even train,” he explained, ” so he’s injured unfortunately and couldn’t make the game.”
Leandro Trossard has been chosen to replace the injured midfielder in the starting line-up. Mikel Merino will return to a midfield role rather than leading the line.
He joins Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey in the middle, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli flanking Trossard.
This marks the first time this year that Rice has missed a match. His last absence was on 18 December, when an injury kept him out of the League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
The player’s enforced absence brings an end to a streak of 21 consecutive starts for club and country dating back to late January. The last match Rice did not start was the final Champions League league phase game versus Girona, where he came on as an 82nd-minute substitute.
(Image: Getty Images)
However, during that run, Rice has been substituted during the second half nine times, completing the entire match in the other 12. The most recent of those substitutions occurred last weekend, when he was taken off after playing 74 minutes against Bournemouth.
Declan Rice notably sustained an injury in the gripping first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. Reflecting on the incident, Arteta shared: “I think Dec had an issue with his foot.”
Ben White is set to come in as right-back for Jurrien Timber, who, according to Arteta, is “not fit”. The defensive lineup remains steady with William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, and Myles Lewis-Skelly safeguarding David Raya between the sticks.
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Liverpool meanwhile has made six changes for the encounter, with Arne Slot restoring a strong line up after making changes against Chelsea. Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the bench after confirming his plans to leave the club this summer.
Liverpool – Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Arsenal – Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
