Arsenal are set to be without midfielder Declan Rice for their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, according to reports.
The Gunners face the Eagles aiming to reach the semi-finals of this competition for the second time under Mikel Arteta, last doing do three seasons ago.
Arteta’s opted for youth and fringe squad members in victories over Bolton and Preston to advance into the last eight, with the remaining teams left in the Carabao Cup all plying their trade in the top flight. Arsenal, though, have as good a chance as any of lifting this trophy.
Declan Rice to miss Carabao Cup quarter-final vs Crystal Palace
With success far from guaranteed in the Premier League and Champions League, the Carabao Cup is a competition Arteta must take seriously. This is a project that deserves silverware, and victory under the Wembley arch next February could open the floodgates for the arrival of major trophies.
That’s why I’d like to see the boss opt for a strong starting XI against Palace to give the Gunners the best chance of progressing into the two-legged semi-finals. However, Arteta is set to be without Rice.
While the boss said in his pre-match press conference that Rice was “fine” after being withdrawn on the hour on Saturday, with the midfielder asking to be subbed due to a niggle. The England international was dealing with a reported broken toe before the November international break, and it’s not clear whether Rice is still being hampered by the same issue or a different knock.
Either way, Arsenal are taking no chances on Wednesday night.
Connor Humm reported on the morning of the game that Rice won’t play a part in the quarter-final. Arteta may well have one eye on a busy festive calendar which includes a trip to Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday.
With Rice out, Jorginho and Thomas Partey are contenders to start at the base of midfield, while Mikel Merino could retain his place in the XI. Supporters would love to see a tandem of Ethan Nwaneri and Martin Odegaard operating ahead of the #6, but we’re unlikely to see that combination from the outset on Wednesday.
Arsenal will also be without Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko in midweek, opening up the door for Myles Lewis-Skelly to earn a third consecutive start at left-back in three different competitions. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined.
