Arsenal have two new injury concerns to contend with as 2025 turns to 2026. Both midfielder Declan Rice and defender Riccardo Calafiori are basically 50/50 propositions for the first match of ’26, a trip to AFC Bournemouth.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta spoke on both Rice (knee inflammation) and Calafiori (unspecified knock) yesterday.
Arsenal FC at AFC Bournemouth FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Jan 3, 5:30 pm, Vitality Stadium
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 62% Draw 22% AFC Bournemouth 16%
PL Form: Arsenal LWWWW AFC Bournemouth DDDLD
PL Standing: Arsenal 1st, 45 pts AFC Bournemouth 15th, 23 pts
Gunners Team News
“If that swelling comes down in the next few days, he will be in a better place,” Arteta said of Rice. “But the good thing is, without a lot of players, the team is able to perform in that way…”
Rice means a whole lot to this team, as Arteta has said, over and over again this season. As for Calafiori, Arteta said the following, three days ago:
“It’s something that he felt yesterday, something very awkward that happened, and today in the warm-up he wasn’t comfortable.”
Elsewhere Cristhian Mosquera and Max Dowman (both ankle) are both sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.