Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice says he is “fine” despite being taken off with an injury against Brentford on Wednesday evening.
The 26-year-old picked up a calf problem in the closing stages of the match, and he was replaced by Viktor Gyokeres.
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Rice’s remarks seem to suggest it was only a minor issue, and fans on X are delighted that he could be fit and available to take on Aston Villa this weekend:
Good news 😍😍
— Greg Peter (@peter_greg40734) December 4, 2025
Beast
— Nuel (@GoddeyC) December 4, 2025
The guy won't simply give up. Elite mentality
— Ashish Patil 🇮🇳 (@ash_arsenalist) December 4, 2025
I’m happy 🙏🙏🙏
— Ose Andrew (@oseandrew009) December 4, 2025
Phew, Rice downplaying it like a boss—ready for Villa already. Bullet dodged!
— Annie Valea (@Annie46675) December 4, 2025
Fantastic. Saturday lunchtime we cook properly 👨🏻🍳
— Phil | Just saying… (@Philjustsaying) December 4, 2025
THIS GUY IS A MACHINE🤦♀️🤦♀️
— Nas (@nasfit_12) December 4, 2025
This guy 🥹he knows we need him now more than ever
— AFC Symon 𓃵 (@savage_symon) December 4, 2025
Rice will be assessed by the medical staff
While the England international has played down the seriousness of the injury, the Gunners are not going to take any chances with his fitness.
It is expected that Rice will go through several checks before being given the green light to face Villa on Saturday afternoon. The short turnaround time between matches means that even a minor problem could rule him out.
Other Arsenal injury news
Rice was not the only player who sustained an injury against Brentford. Cristhian Mosquera was forced off before halftime. Speaking after the game, manager Mikel Arteta said it was still not clear if he had injured his ankle or knee.
In terms of other players, both William Saliba and Leandro Trossard are expected to return to training pretty soon, but Gabriel (adductor) and Kai Havertz (knee) are unlikely to feature over the festive period.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here