Arsenal latest: Second star to miss international games as Declan Rice controversy debated
Declan Rice and Arsenal had a painful weekend(Image: GLYN KIRK, AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal will go into the international break sitting three points off the Premier League summit, having lost for the first time this season. A 3-0 reverse at Brighton leaves them second behind leaders Manchester City, with the Seagulls now just two points behind in third.
The result on the south coast didn't tell the entire story. There was also a flashpoint involving Declan Rice, whose run-in with Malick Yalcouye has been the subject of debate since the final whistle.
Mikel Arteta will be able to work on the training ground with some of his squad members, while others head off to link up with their respective national teams. However, at the time of writing, two Gunners stars have already been ruled out of international action.
We've got updates for you on the Brighton fallout and on the international latest. Here's the latest from around the Emirates Stadium.
Alan Shearer believes Declan Rice was right to avoid a red card after a clash late on in the Brighton game and now former Premier League ref Dermot Gallagher has come to the same conclusion.. The England star kicked out at opponent Yalcouye during stoppage time and Shearer argued a yellow was sufficient.
"I think it's petulant," Gallagher said on Sky Sports' Ref Watch. "What you've got to remember is that it's got to be deemed violent conduct.
"Is that brutal or malicious? I think not. He runs a risk, there's no doubt about that. For me, that's not an act of violence. It's a very unwise thing to do, but the referee got it right."
England midfielder Rice and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie will stay behind while some of their club colleagues head off on international duty. Both have been dealing with injury and fitness worries of late and are being given time to rest and return to full health.
Piero Hincapie will sit out Ecuador's international games(Image: MB Media, Getty Images)
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Hincapie is one of three notable absentees from the Ecuador squad, alongside Chelsea's Moises Caicedo and Club Brugge's Joel Ordonez. According to reports from Ecuador, 'injuries and physical issues' are responsible for the trio's absence.
Ecuador face South Korea on 24 September in the opening match of three during this international break. This represents the players' initial opportunity to impress new manager Marcelo Gallardo, who succeeded Sebastian Beccacece following the World Cup, though Hincapie, Caicedo and Ordonez will wait a little longer for that opportunity.
As for Rice, football.london understands his withdrawal from the England squad relates to load management considerations. He is amongst five players to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel's squad at the time of writing, with the German boss calling up Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner in their place.
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