Declan Rice now faces suspension risk as Martin Zubimendi already ruled out of Slavia Prague clash

Arsenal continued their winning streak with a 2-0 victory over Burnley in the Premier League yesterday.

The Gunners have a seven-point lead over Bournemouth at the top of the table, but the gap is expected to reduce after today’s set of league fixtures.

Arsenal’s next assignment will be against Slavia Prague on the road in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Martin Zubimendi picked up a possible muscle injury against the Clarets, and manager Mikel Arteta said after the game that he asked to be subbed off.

The Spaniard will be assessed in the next 24 hours, but he has already been ruled out of Tuesday’s encounter due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Zubimendi was booked in the first three Champions League matches and therefore, he has hit the threshold for a one-game European suspension.

This could pave the way for Mikel Merino or Christian Norgaard to start. The latter could make his full Champions League debut, given he is the natural holding midfielder.

Arteta obviously prefers to play Rice as a central box-to-box midfielder, but the 26-year-old must be cautious to avoid a booking against Slavia in midweek.

The Englishman is already on two yellow cards.

A booking on the road to Slavia would see him suspended for the all-important clash against Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium on November 26.

Rice has shown that he can operate with extra caution. He managed to avoid a similar situation in the quarter-final phase against Real Madrid last term.

However, his task is more difficult this time. The yellow cards won’t erase until the semi-final stage. Rice could opt for a tactical booking in the league phase.

After Slavia, Arsenal will be away to Sunderland in the league before the final international break of 2025.

Stats from UEFA.com

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