DECLAN RICE dealt Arsenal a significant injury concern ahead of their decisive Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon this evening after he failed to show for the club’s open training session today.

Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan, but returned for Arsenal’s fixtures against Sporting in Lisbon last week and was the stand-in captain for his side’s shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.

However, he did not train alongside his team-mates at London Colney today. Arsenal could also continue to be without Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, with the quartet also absent from the group session.

Arsenal head into tonight’s fixture at Ashburton Grove guarding a one-goal advantage from last week’s opening leg.

They will be bidding to bounce back from a poor 2-1 defeat against the Cherries which allowed Manchester City to trim their advantage at the top of the Premier League table from nine points to six. Arsenal travel to the City of Manchester Stadium to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.