Mikel Arteta given Arsenal fitness boost for Chelsea clash but star misses out due to injury
Declan Rice ahead of Arsenal's clash against Chelsea.(Image: Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Declan Rice has been named in the Arsenal squad for this afternoon's clash against Chelsea, but Cristhian Mosquera has been left out. The duo were not spotted among the likes of Martin Odegaard, David Raya and Bukayo Saka, who returned to the team hotel this morning following a pre-match walk.
Despite fears Rice could have suffered an injury in the build-up to the game, he was selected in the starting lineup alongside his skipper and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the middle of the park. Bruno Guimaraes, who suffered a knock during the 1-0 win over Aston Villa, featured on the bench.
In the absence of Mosquera, who was forced to come off towards the end of Monday night's trip to Villa Park, Ezri Konsa partnered Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-half, while Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori remained at full-back.
Speaking to reporters at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday afternoon, Arteta previewed the highly anticipated London derby. On whether he spoke to Xabi Alonso before he took the reins at Chelsea, the Arsenal boss said: "I spoke to him before that.
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"But yes, really happy for him, as I said. It's incredible because obviously we have the history that we have together, the same with Andoni [Iraola], and to be facing each other in such a level and with the responsibility we have managing some of the top clubs in the country is a really beautiful thing to experience."
On his friendship with Alonso, Arteta said: "Now it would be tougher to meet because of the schedule that we both have. But of course, that relationship goes on for many, many years, and we share some great moments together.
"That's natural, but now it's the competition, and when you face each other, you know what happens."
On how he thinks Chelsea will approach the game, Arteta said: "That would depend on a lot of factors, and game state is a massive one, especially because the two games that they played, they scored very, very early and that changes the momentum and the shift of the game.
"But they are capable, and he's capable of playing in various ways. That's been a really successful match so far."
And on Alonso's success at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga unbeaten, Arteta said: "First of all, the courage. Obviously, we've known each other for so long, we have experienced different countries, different moments, and just to go abroad and deliver what he has done.
"The same with Andoni [Iraola] as well, I think it's remarkable. It shows you that I think doing what you feel, and how you feel it, and being able to translate that to a club, to players, and ultimately achieve the goals that you want, is possible, regardless of where you are born and where you're from."
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