Arsenal handed fresh injury scare as five miss training ahead of Sporting and Man City

Declan Rice missed Arsenal training ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League showdown with Sporting CP.

The midfielder was not spotted among the group preparing for Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg against the Portuguese giants at the Emirates.

Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, who have missed Arsenal’s three games since the end of the international break, were also not seen, along with Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori.

Those absences will not only be a huge concern for Wednesday night but also for Sunday when the Gunners head to the Eithad for a season-defining Premier League showdown with Manchester City.

City can reduce the gap on the league leaders to just three points with a game still in hand with a victory.

Rice withdrew from international duty in March, sitting out of Arsenal’s first game back in their FA Cup defeat to Southampton.

He played the full 90 minutes in last week’s first leg in Lisbon and in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth.

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The England international has missed just one game through injury this season.

Saka withdrew from the England camp alongside his teammate in March but has not featured since.

Mikel Arteta had been hopeful his winger would return against the Cherries last Saturday but that match came too soon for the winger.

Timber meanwhile has not played since the victory over Everton on 14 March due to a groin problem.

Odegaard started both games against Southampton and Sporting but was not involved against Bournemouth with his international manager Stale Solbakken revealing the midfielder had suffered a ‘minor setback.’
Arteta will speak to the media later this afternoon where he will be expected to provide further updates on his stars.