Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has indicated that Declan Rice requires careful management to avoid potential injury. The midfielder withdrew from the England squad during the international break due to fears of overloading, having faced a demanding schedule for both club and country in recent seasons.
Rice, 27, played through a nerve issue in his hamstring at the summer World Cup. While he may feature against Leeds this weekend, Arteta stressed the need for caution, noting Rice has had "a few issues since he came back from the World Cup."
In more positive news for the Gunners, Ben White, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera have all returned to training. Arteta also hinted that Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa could be available for the upcoming match, despite Havertz having a muscular injury and Konsa returning early from the England camp.
However, Christos Tzolis is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring problem. Max Dowman is fit and available to join the Arsenal squad. The defending champions are currently three points behind Manchester City in the Premier League table, following a recent defeat to Brighton.