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Arsenal face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening - with Mikel Arteta having a major Declan Rice concern.
Mikel Arteta has a big dilemma involving Declan Rice with the Arsenal star facing up to a possible suspension. The midfielder has been shown two yellow cards in the Champions League so far and a third against Bayern Munich on Wednesday will result in a ban.
The Gunners' record-signing has, once again, proven to be a key player for Arteta with eight goal contributions arriving from midfield this season. Two of those have arrived in Arsenal's latest European outings, but it was two bookings picked up prior to that.
Therefore, a yellow card being shown his way at home to Bayern on Wednesday will see him required to serve a suspension for Arsenal's next match in the competition against Club Brugge on Wednesday, December 10.
If he does not meet that threshold on Wednesday, Rice must then avoid a caution during Arsenal's remaining three league stage matches against the Belgian side, Inter and Kairat Almaty and up to the quarter-finals. UEFA rules state that all yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals.
Rice picking up a ban could hand Arteta a team selection dilemma with no obvious replacement able to cover. Mikel Merino would be the most likely option, but he is currently filling the void left by Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz up top.
Managing Rice's minutes could, therefore, come into Arteta's thinking, but it is highly unlikely he does not play the full 90 minutes especially if the game is in the balance.
Martin Zubimendi has already served a one-match ban, after picking up three yellow cards, with Merino, Christian Norgaard, Ethan Nwaneri, Noni Madueke and the injured Gabriel Magalhaes on one booking.
Arteta will be keen to have all of those players available throughout their European campaign with that very much something that can be controlled. Injury problems, however, is one factor largely out of his hands with a number of problems emerging over the last few months.
Piero Hincapie, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba have all missed action through injury this season, but all four are now available.
He said: "Yeah they [Martinelli and Madueke] are [in contention to start]. We're going to have a meeting now to decide on Martin. We are confident he can be in the squad."
Gyokeres and Havertz both missed out on the weekend's win over Tottenham and are set to also miss the visit of Bayern, but could be back for the trip to Chelsea this weekend.
The Arsenal manager admitted during a press conference: "In the next few days they [Havertz and Gyokeres] will have scans to see if we can push them for the weekend."
Gabriel Jesus is also edging closer towards a return after 10 months out - with Arteta hinting he will be back soon.
"Yeah, he's quite close, to be fair, and it's earlier than we expected," he said. "In the next few days, he's going to have another step to make with a game that we're going to organise for him and, after that, he's just going to be knocking on the door, because he's Gabi, and we know that's what's happening."
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