Arsenal confirm Arteta contract as Rice fitness remains uncertain

Arsenal announced that Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract, extending his tenure as manager, as the club prepared for Saturday’s Premier League match against Leeds with Declan Rice’s availability uncertain. The club said Arteta’s agreement runs until 2030. Another report gave an end date of 2031, so the precise term was not consistent across the supplied accounts. Arsenal described the deal as reflecting a shared belief in the progress made and the prospect of further success. Arteta said he was privileged to commit his future to the club. Arteta said Arsenal would need to manage Rice carefully after the midfielder experienced issues since returning from the World Cup. Rice withdrew from the England squad during the international break amid concerns about his workload, according to the report. Arteta said he hoped Rice would be available against Leeds, but did not confirm his selection. The manager also said other players were in doubt. He reported that Kai Havertz had a muscular injury and had been sent back from Germany’s squad, and said Arsenal would assess his availability before the match.