According to a report by Football London on Thursday November 5, 2026, although Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2-1 in Wednesday's Champions League match, fans were worried about Declan Rice's fitness levels due to the amount of playing time he had to put in.

In the wake of the win at Anfield, Mikel Arteta made six substitutions, benching key players like Bruno Guimaraes, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz. Rice was the Arsenal captain.

Even though Arsenal had a tough time scoring after the break, the England international played the full match. Though he gave an enthusiastic first performance, his impact waned as weariness seemed to impact his gait.

In the 68th minute, Rice was sent off for a yellow card for his poor defensive transitions. Also, his supporters have noticed that he is taking longer to make decisions, which has led them to wonder why Arteta has refused to replace him.

Posting under the title "Arteta's management of Rice tonight needs explaining," an irate fan questioned the manager's choice. After thirty-five minutes, he was startled. Some people thought it was a bad idea to disregard potential substitutes.

As tired as Rice looked, Bruno Guimaraes and Myles Lewis-Skelly were benched. Even though Arsenal were ahead, some fans thought Arteta should have shielded his midfielder.

The heavy workload and injury problems that Bukayo Saka had in the past were immediately brought to the attention of some fans. "I fear we'd run him to the ground like Saka," one concerned supporter said. You should give him a break.

Those worries are reasonable given Rice's workload. He has started every one of Arsenal's thirteen league and cup matches this season, and he has played the full 90 minutes in all four of their European matches.

His rigorous schedule is the culmination of a taxing fifteen months that included playing for England on the international stage, battling illness and hamstring pain, and finally making a triumphant return for Arsenal in the Community Shield.

In order to help manage his workload, Rice cut short his summer vacation to take part in pre-season training and then left England duty. Arsenal had comparable worries about Saka in the past.

Saka has missed approximately fifty matches due to injury since 2023-24, and his supporters are worried that another key player could have the same fate. Starting with Saturday's match against Hull, Arteta must meticulously oversee Rice's minutes.