Declan Rice absence gives Arsenal another injury concern before Sporting clash

By Philip Duncan, Press Association

Declan Rice dealt Arsenal a significant injury concern on the eve of their decisive Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon after he failed to show for the club’s open training session.

Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan, but returned for Arsenal’s fixtures against Sporting in Lisbon last week and was the stand-in captain for his side’s shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.

However, he did not train alongside his team-mates at London Colney on Tuesday. Arsenal could also continue to be without Bukyao Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, with the quartet also absent from the group session.

Saka has missed Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the side through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend. Timber, one of Arsenal’s standout performers so far, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.

Arsenal head into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates guarding a one-goal advantage from last week’s opening leg.

They will be bidding to bounce back from a poor 2-1 defeat against the Cherries which allowed Manchester City to trim their advantage at the top of the Premier League table from nine points to six. Arsenal travel to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.