Arteta warns Arsenal must manage Rice carefully after World Cup workload concerns

Mikel Arteta has warned that Arsenal must handle Declan Rice with care after the midfielder’s withdrawal from England’s squad during the international break raised fresh concerns about his long-term availability.

Rice, 27, stepped away from international duty amid fears of overloading following a relentless schedule for club and country. He played through a nerve issue in his hamstring at the World Cup in the summer, having also helped Arsenal reach the Champions League final and claim Premier League success in recent seasons.

“Yeah, we have to manage him because he’s had a few issues since he came back from the World Cup,” Arteta said. “Hopefully tomorrow he’s available, and some others also are in doubt.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Rice, the international break has not been as damaging for Arsenal’s squad as feared. Ben White, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera have all returned to training, offering Arteta some relief ahead of the weekend’s match against Leeds.

Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa are also in contention after both were sent back early from their respective national teams. Havertz was withdrawn from the Germany squad with a hamstring issue, while Konsa returned to Arsenal before England’s victory over the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday.

“With Kai, as he had a muscular injury, I spoke to Germany and they sent the player back as normal,” Arteta explained. “Ezri — we had good communication with the England camp. We will see tomorrow [if they are available].”

On the injury front, winger Christos Tzolis faces several weeks out with a hamstring problem of his own, though youngster Max Dowman is fit and available to bolster the squad.