Arteta fired up; Rice absent

Mikel Arteta went into Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final second leg saying he was “on fire,” but Declan Rice missed training on Tuesday before Sporting Club de Portugal visited the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. (arsenal.com) (skysports.com) Arsenal take a 1-0 aggregate lead into the second leg after winning the first match in Lisbon on Tuesday, April 7. UEFA listed the return leg for Wednesday, April 15, in north London. (uefa.com) (arsenal.com) Rice was one of five Arsenal players absent from the club’s open training session on April 14, alongside Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Sky Sports reported Rice appeared to land awkwardly while challenging for a header during Arsenal’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Bournemouth. (skysports.com) (espn.com) Arteta did not offer firm return dates in his pre-match news conference. Arsenal’s published transcript shows he was asked about team fitness and said he could not give clarity on several players before the Sporting match. (arsenal.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The timing is tight because Arsenal are still alive in Europe and also face Manchester City away on Sunday, April 19, in a Premier League match that follows the Bournemouth defeat. ESPN reported that loss cut Arsenal’s lead at the top from nine points to six. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Arteta’s message before Sporting was emotional and direct. He said Arsenal needed “no fear” and “pure fire,” and then added that he himself was “on fire” when asked about the mood around the team. (arsenal.com) (channelnewsasia.com) Sporting arrive needing to overturn the deficit, and Arsenal are trying to reach the semi-finals while managing a growing injury list. That leaves Rice’s status as one of the clearest short-term questions around a match Arteta framed as a test of nerve as much as form. (uefa.com) (skysports.com)