Arteta hits back at Rice workload concerns: 'That's my concern'
Mikel Arteta has given a forceful response to suggestions that Arsenal are failing to manage Declan Rice's workload carefully enough this season.
Rice has started all nine of Arsenal's Premier League matches so far and played the full 90 minutes in four of the last five, having already racked up 69 appearances for club and country last season. He also started in midweek against Slavia Prague, looking visibly tired by the second half, while Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori were both left out of the starting lineup.
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When it was put to Arteta that there could be concerns over Rice's minutes, the Arsenal manager pushed back hard. “Concerns? The only player, the only player in this squad that for two games in the Carabao Cup has been left out of the squad. At home with two days off. That's my concern,” he said, as quoted by the Evening Standard.
“It's not true. We are really looking after him more than any other season. The way he's training and all the load. That's it. Here are the demands of this football club and you have a player like him. Not only him because there are many others that have even less time. That's it. That has to be the mindset. If you start to put other things in your brain, damage. Erase them, get them in the bin and just focus on what you have to do.”
Unusual run of fixtures
Arteta was equally direct when asked about the demanding schedule Arsenal have faced recently. Of the 15 matches played this season, only five have come at home, with the Gunners travelling to Fleetwood, Liverpool and Prague in the space of a week.
“No challenge,” Arteta said. “It's all a pleasure. I heard them tell me: ‘you guys fly with private jets and good buses and good food'. It's beautiful. We have done it. It was what we had ahead of us, it was another challenge.”
He continued: “Because normally you don't play four away games in a row or three away games in a row. And you don't play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, very strange. We have done it a few times and we have to do it tomorrow again. We are buzzing.”
Rice set to join up with England
Rice will now link up with the England squad, having missed the last international camp due to load management. His continued involvement for both club and country will keep scrutiny on his minutes heading into a congested festive period.
Arsenal return to home comforts on Saturday against Hull, a fixture Arteta will hope offers some respite after a punishing run of away trips.
