Arsenal suffer huge injury blow just hours before Aston Villa fixture

Arsenal are expected to be without Declan Rice for this evening's huge Premier League clash against Aston Villa, according to the Athletic. It has been claimed that the Gunners midfielder sustained a knee injury in the win over Brighton with Mikel Arteta's side keen not to aggravate the issue.

This is another significant blow for the league leaders in addition to doubts surrounding Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber.

The former was included in the starting XI but pulled out in the warm up, with it later revealed it was because of an issue earlier in the week, while Timber missed out entirely.

That saw Rice move to right-back and Myles Lewis-Skelly come into the team with the former able to compete the full 90 minutes despite his apparent issue.

On Calafiori, Arteta said at the weekend: "It's something that he felt yesterday, something very awkward that happened, and today in the warm-up he wasn’t comfortable."

He had already stated on the Dutchmen: "In the last part of the [Palace] game [on Tuesday], he felt something and could not carry on. So, he's out."

One positive for Arsenal was the return of Gabriel Magalhaes, who played the final 30 minutes against Brighton, after six weeks out with injury.

He is expected to start at Emirates Stadium with Kai Havertz also in line to make a matchday squad for the first time since the opening day of the season.

Villa are also dealing with some big absences as Boubacar Kamara and Matty Cash are suspended. Pau Torres is still out with injury alongside Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings while Evann Guessand is at AFCON.

Unai Emery's side have the chance to go level on points with Arsenal if they secure a tenth straight Premier League victory. The latest of those arrived last Saturday against Chelsea with Ollie Watkins on target twice off the bench.

Despite such a statement win, Emery dismissed the idea his side are in a title race.

“Not really. I am not feeling it, but we are competing very well," he said after the game when asked if Villa are in the title race.

“Man City and Arsenal, wow. We are going to play 38 matches. here is still Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United. “We must compete against them and try to be more or less consistent in 38 matches like we are now. Arsenal and Man City are still in front of us.”

Some more favourable fixtures are on the horizon Villa after a difficult Christmas period with Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Brighton and Leeds United all at Villa Park over the next two months.