MIRROR
Both Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice are fit to start Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea on Sunday.
Odegaard has been out since the September international break with a hamstring injury and only made his return to action on Wednesday with a last-minute cameo in the defeat to Inter Milan. Rice meanwhile suffered a broken toe in last week’s loss to Newcastle.
The midfielder then missed the trip to Inter having been unable to train all week. While Rice had been keen to push through the pain barrier, it was unknown if Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was willing to risk him.
But with his side’s season at serious risk of being over if they are beaten by Chelsea, Arteta appears to have rolled the dice. As well as Rice and Odegaard, Arteta has also picked Bukayo Saka to start, despite the Englishman’s own injury problems.
David Raya takes his usual place in goal behind a back four of Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber. Rice will partner Thomas Partey in defensive midfield, with summer signing Mikel Merino dropping to the bench.
Odegaard will captain the Gunners in the No.10 role, with his replacement Leandro Trossard also demoted to substitute. Saka takes up his usual place at right wing, with Gabriel Martinelli on the left.
And Kai Havertz will lead the visitors at centre forward. Joining Merino and Trossard on the bench are back-up keeper Neto, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta was coy on the chances of Rice and Odegaard starting during his press conference on Friday. But the Gunners boss is hoping his captain can lift the visitors after two successive defeats.
“I have to be very vague on that one because there’s no clarity on whether he’s going to be fit for the weekend. What I can say is that he hasn’t trained yet and it is not clear whether he’s going to be available or not to play,” he said about Rice.
“Everybody that is in the squad is going to be fit and available to start the game, so then it will be a decision whether it is too early or the right moment for him [Odegaard] to make that step again.
