Arsenal Must Find a Way Forward in the Absence of Key Player Bukayo Saka: Declan Rice

London, Dec 28 (NationPress) Arsenal has moved ahead of Chelsea to secure the second spot in the Premier League standings following a 1-0 victory against Ipswich Town at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (IST). The Gunners’ midfield cornerstone Declan Rice shared his thoughts on the absence of Bukayo Saka, who faces an extended recovery period due to a torn hamstring.

“Tonight was different without him - he's been our main man. We will need to adapt. This presents a fantastic opportunity for other players to step up in the upcoming months and leave their mark,” Rice remarked to Amazon Prime.

The English midfielder was substituted during their 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace after sustaining an injury. The 23-year-old has been in exceptional form this season, netting nine goals and providing 13 assists across all competitions.

Manager Arteta, who had not previously specified a timeline for Saka’s recovery, disclosed that he will be out for “more than two months.”

“He underwent a procedure. I mentioned several weeks, so I believe it will exceed two months. The exact duration is uncertain,” he stated during the post-match press conference.

“It will depend on how the scar tissue begins to heal in the first week or so, as well as its mobility. Let's wait and see; it's tough to predict,” Arteta continued.

Nevertheless, Arsenal will welcome the return of Raheem Sterling, their only backup on the right flank.

“Yes, we need to monitor his progress this week. We initially anticipated the knee injury to take longer than it has, so hopefully, this is positive news as we require him,” the Spaniard added.

With the victory over Ipswich, Arsenal now trails league leaders Liverpool by six points as they pursue their first league title in two decades.