Declan Rice picked up a back problem during the opening half of the north London derby yesterday and he was substituted at the break.

Speaking after the 2-2 draw, manager Mikel Arteta said that he was surprised by the nature of the concern for the England international.

It is now reported that the issue is nothing serious and Rice could be back on the field when the Gunners face the Cherries on the road.

He will, however, miss the midweek action in the Carabao Cup third round. The Gunners face Brentford on the road on Wednesday night.

Arteta is likely to ring in the changes for the League Cup tie. We could see a number of key players rested or left on the bench in midweek.

It will be interesting to see whether Leandro Trossard is fit. He missed the north London derby with a minor muscle issue during training.

Related

---