Arsenal ended 2025 with a convincing 4-1 win over Aston Villa, but the victory was overshadowed by a knee injury to midfielder Declan Rice. The England international missed the match after sustaining a kick to his knee during the previous game against Brighton. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Rice had a significant swelling but described the injury as short-term, hoping he would be fit for the weekend trip to Bournemouth.
Arteta said: “Declan got a big kick in his knee during the match [against Brighton], at the start of the match actually, and by the time he finished the match he had a massive swell up. The game [against Villa] was too early for him to be able to consider.” He added that Rice's availability for Bournemouth depends on the swelling subsiding.
Defender Riccardo Calafiori also missed the Villa game due to a flare-up of a groin injury sustained in training. His participation against Bournemouth is uncertain, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Piero Hincapie providing cover at left-back. Meanwhile, Cristhian Mosquera is expected to be out for several more weeks with an ankle injury, and teenager Max Dowman is sidelined until February with a ligament issue.
