Declan Rice was absent from today’s open training session as Arsenal step up preparations for their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting Lisbon.
The Gunners take a 1-0 lead into the game after Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time winner in Portugal, with a place in the semi-finals on the line for the second season running.
Rice has been carrying a minor issue for a while – to the extent he dropped out of international duty – so his absence may simply be a case of load management.
Even so, any doubt over his involvement would come as a boost to Sporting, who will sense an opportunity against a Gunners side whose confidence took a bashing with a home defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend.
There was no sign either of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber or Riccardo Calafiori, all of whom sat out Saturday. Their absence from the session suggests they remain unlikely to feature.
Mikel Arteta is due to speak later today, although it would be no surprise if he offers little in the way of clarity.