Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the fitness of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Chelsea.

Rice is probably the biggest the doubt heading into Sunday’s match at Stamford Bridge. The England international sustained a foot injury during last weekend’s defeat at Newcastle and could not travel to Italy for Arsenal’s Champions League game against Inter Milan in midweek.

Arteta would not commit to whether Rice will be available this weekend though.

“I have to be very vague on that one because there’s no clarity if he’s going to be fit on the weekend,” the Spaniard said. “He hasn’t trained yet and it’s not clear if he’ll be able to play.”

Havertz meanwhile is also a doubt to face his former club. The German international received a cut to his head in the closing stages against Inter that required stitches.

Mikel Merino is also a doubt with head injury. The Spaniard was forced to come off at half time during Wednesday’s clash at the San Siro after receiving a blow to the head from Yann Sommer. Arteta though admitted Merino should be fine for Chelsea.

“We will have to wait to see how they react,” he said. “Kai had a nasty cut so we had to take him off. With Mikel he wasn’t feeling great the day before so we had to sub him at half time.”

Arteta is guaranteed to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney and Riccardo Calafiori due to injury. Raheem Sterling meanwhile is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Martin Odegaard will be back in a Premier League squad for the first time since August. Arteta again wouldn’t commit to whether the Norwegian will start against Chelsea though.

“Everybody in the squad will be fit and available to start the game,” he said. “Then it will be a decision on whether to start the game.”

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