Arsenal could suffer a double suspension blow which may prove to be a blessing in disguise in Tuesday's Champions League battle with Atletico Madrid at the Emirates.
The Gunners are bidding to make it three for three in the 2025-26 tournament following back-to-back 2-0 victories over Athletic Bilbao and Olympiacos in the opening two matchweeks.
Mikel Arteta's men nevertheless find themselves behind Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Inter Milan in the 36-team league-phase table, but they top thePremier League rankings after Saturday's 1-0 success over Fulham.
With a five-day gap in between Tuesday's game and the visit of Crystal Palace in the top flight on Sunday, Arteta will be expected to put out close to a full-strength lineup against Atletico, who pummelled Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 on matchday two of the Champions League.
As a result, it is anticipated that midfield regulars Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice will be in the Spaniard's first XI in North London, where they will both be treading a disciplinary tightrope.
Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice one booking away from Champions League ban
Arsenal's Declan Rice pictured on September 28, 2025
Rice and Zubimendi were both booked in the Gunners' wins over Olympiacos and Athletic Bilbao, and three yellow cards in the league phase of the Champions League carry a one-match suspension.
The midfield duo will therefore incur bans if they are cautioned against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening, but those punishments could actually be preferable to a possible alternative for Arteta.
If Rice and Zubimendi are booked on Tuesday, they will miss the Gunners' trip to Slavia Prague on matchday four of the Champions League, a tie that Arsenal would be expected to win even without their first-choice options available.
However, if the pair are cautioned against Slavia Prague instead, they would miss the blockbuster home game with Bayern Munich - who are currently in first place in the league-phase table - on November 26.
As a result, Rice and Zubimendi picking up yellow cards against Atletico, sitting out the Slavia Prague game but returning for the Bayern visit would not be the worst outcome in the world for Arteta this week.
How could Arsenal replace Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice?
Arsenal's Eberechi Eze pictured on September 13, 2025
While Arteta should not persuade Rice and Zubimendi to incur yellow cards on Tuesday night, many Gooners would surely agree that it is favourable for the pair to miss Slavia Prague rather than watch on helplessly against Bayern.
The Arsenal head coach is not bereft of options for change in the middle of the park either, and Zubimendi's absence should be covered by Christian Norgaard, although the Dane's lack of action since joining the Gunners from Brentford.
Over in Rice's left-eight role, Mikel Merino is a safe bet to replace the £105m England international, but the Gunners boss could also experiment with Eberechi Eze in that slot.
The former Crystal Palace attacker is yet to shine in Martin Odegaard's right-sided role and has traditionally produced his best work over on the left, where Rice's possible ban may work in his favour.
Eze operating on the left would spell optimism for Ethan Nwaneri's chances of finally starting a Champions League game, but Arteta has preferred Merino over the teenager in the Odegaard slot so far.
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