Declan Rice: Arsenal midfielder expected to be fit to face Manchester City after avoiding serious injury

Declan Rice has avoided serious injury and could be in line for Arsenal’s Premier League match against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Rice underwent tests on Monday after feeling discomfort in his back during Sunday’s north London derby, forcing him to leave at half-time.

Scans have shown the problem is not major, although the midfielder remains uncomfortable and is not expected to feature in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup match in Brentford.

Rice will be further assessed ahead of the trip to Bournemouth this week, as will Leandro Trossard, who missed the draw with Tottenham due to a mild muscle problem.

The news means Rice will be fit for Arsenal’s match against title rivals Manchester City on Sunday, October 8, broadcast live Air sports – although the champions will be without Rodri after he was sent off in their win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta will host a press conference ahead of the trip to Brentford on Tuesday, where he is also expected to provide updates on the fitness of Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey, while Jurrien Timber is out for a long period with a serious knee injury.

After the draw with Spurs – in which Rice’s replacement Jorginho made a mistake on one of the visitors’ goals – Arteta said of the summer signing: “He had a back injury. He felt very uncomfortable during the match.

‘We had to get him out. We have to judge him. It’s strange that someone like him gets off.’

Rice has started every Arsenal match since signing from West Ham for a record £105 million this summer and scored a late winner against Manchester United earlier this month.

Merson says: Arsenal may have to sign Toney in January

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:

I’ve always said it from day one: Eddie Nketiah is not going to win you the Premier League.

You need a good striker. I don’t blame Nketiah because they drew 2-2 against Tottenham, but with 32 games to go and all the Champions League games to play, I don’t think he will take them to the next level. I don’t even think Gabriel Jesus takes them to the next level.

I was so confident that Arsenal would win on Sunday, but when I saw the teams I was very worried. Jesus on the wing, Nketiah up front, Fabio Vieira, I don’t think he’s good enough. Then Declan Rice comes off and Jorginho comes on.

It wasn’t Arsenal’s strongest team, but when you think about the Champions League and all the games they have to play, they looked a bit weak on Sunday, didn’t they?

It’s fine to sit there and think ‘they need a striker’ – but who is there?

Only Ivan Toney is available to them in January; there are not many centre-forwards in the world. They are a dying breed.

I heard Michael Owen talking recently: years ago you had him, Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham and Robbie Fowler scoring 20 to 30 goals a season and they weren’t scoring a million caps for England. Ian Wright and Les Ferdinand too. Now you’re scoring 20 goals in the Premier League and playing for England.

Toney is a good player: he can hold the ball high and is good in the air. Arsenal might have to go for him. But there are not a million centre-forwards in circulation.

If Arsenal now lose to Manchester City on October 8, they will be out of the title race. They would be seven points behind.

A lot of people say ‘there are still so many games left’. But Arsenal wouldn’t catch Man City with 600 games left if City had a seven-point lead. You just can’t make up for that because from then on Arsenal would only have one more game against City and then it would be over.

That match at the Emirates is a huge match, it is already a matter of make or break.