Declan Rice has been dealing with a knee injury but looks set return for Arsenal's Premier League clash against Bournemouth
12:48, 03 Jan 2026Updated 12:50, 03 Jan 2026
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is in line to return from injury against Bournemouth
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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is in line to return from injury against Bournemouth(Image: (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire))
Arsenal star Declan Rice could return from injury this evening having travelled to Bournemouth and taken part in the pre-match walk. The Gunners midfielder missed the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa earlier this week with a knee issue picked up the previous weekend.
Mikel Arteta has delivered several fitness admissions since then with it seemingly indicated that he would be absent for the trip to Vitality Stadium. His latest update, which was roughly 36 hours before the Bournemouth game, was not overwhelmingly positive.
Asked if the swelling around his knee had gone down, the Arsenal boss said: "Well, not yet. We have another session today. Let's see how he comes today and how that's feeling, but it was too early that game for him."
Rice was absent from the training photos uploaded to the club website on Friday evening, but that does not necessarily mean he was not involved at London Colney.
Regardless of that, it certainly looks as though Rice's problem has improved enough for him to join his teammates on the south coast.
According to The Sun, Rice has been included in their travelling squad and was seen during Arsenal's morning walk ahead of the game. However, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Kai Havertz were not spotted.
The 26-year-old being available for selection serves as a huge boost for Arteta especially ahead of big games against Liverpool and Chelsea over the coming weeks. With that in mind, the Gunners head coach may opt against starting Rice on Saturday evening.
Alternatively, he could start and be withdrawn early with rests in the FA Cup and Champions League coming later this month. While Rice's involvement has not been confirmed, Arteta has confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera will remain out.
Arsenal's injury list is rapidly deteriorating however, with Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz and Ben White all returning in the last week.
Prior to that trio making comebacks, Gabriel Jesus returned to the fold after 11 months out with a serious knee injury. The Brazil international looked sharp in several cameos before a first start and goal in nearly one year last month.
Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal reacts
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Gabriel Jesus scored for Arsenal off the bench against Aston Villa(Image: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)
When asked how he and Havertz can help the misfiring Viktor Gyokeres, Arteta said: "It helps the team, it helps every individual. I think that's what we want, to have the option with the amount of games that we have on the schedule.
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"So far we haven't had that option, so looking forward to have everybody on it, everybody performing, being able to change profiles, to change during the game as well, and to pick the best players in the best condition every time."
Changes in the front three are very likely this month with nine games to be played, including the clash at Bournemouth. The Gunners also face Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Manchester United and Leeds in the league.
A Carabao Cup semi-final first leg away to Chelsea is also on the horizon alongside Champions League matches against Kairat and Inter.