BREAKING NEWS: “Arsenal will not even make top-four if that get injured, they must protect him at all costs”: Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger names ONE Gunners player who must be protected at all costs. ARSENE WENGER HAS NAMED ARSENAL MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER THIS SEASON

🔻🚩BREAKING NEWS: “Arsenal will not even make top-four if that get injured, they must protect him at all costs”: Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger names ONE Gunners player who must be protected at all costs. ARSENE WENGER HAS NAMED ARSENAL MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER THIS SEASON 👇👇

Arsene Wenger has sent a blunt warning to Arsenal that cut through the noise around the club. Speaking ahead of their huge Champions League clash with Inter Milan, the former manager urged Mikel Arteta and the board to do one thing above everything else. Protect Declan Rice. In his view, the entire season hangs on the midfielder staying fit.

In an interview with beIN Sports, Wenger did not try to soften his words. He insisted that if Rice suffers a serious injury, Arsenal could forget about finishing in the top four. He described the England international as the player who keeps the whole structure together. The heartbeat of the side. The one who makes everything around him function.

Wenger rarely interferes publicly with Arsenal matters now. Since leaving in 2018, he has watched mostly from a distance while working as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development. That made his intervention even more striking. With Arsenal sitting third in the Premier League, four points behind Liverpool and fighting for a title challenge, his message sounded less like nostalgia and more like a serious warning.

Rice has justified every pound of the fee Arsenal paid West Ham in 2023. This season he has dominated the centre of the pitch with a mix of power and intelligence. He has already played over one thousand minutes in all competitions, chipped in with goals and assists, and kept his passing accuracy near perfect. More important than the numbers is his influence on both phases of play. He breaks up attacks, then starts them.

Arteta uses Rice as the main connector between defence and attack. At times he sits deep, screens the back line and destroys opposition moves. In other moments he pushes higher, carries the ball forward and releases Arsenal’s forwards into dangerous areas. That flexibility has allowed Arteta to tweak systems without losing balance. It is exactly this dual role that Wenger compared to what Patrick Vieira once gave his teams.

The concern lies in the schedule. Arsenal are heading into a brutal run. Inter Milan in Europe. A north London derby against Tottenham. Then a meeting with Manchester City. Rice has barely had a rest and small signs of fatigue have started to creep in. Against Brighton he produced a rare sloppy pass that almost gifted a goal, and there have been quiet whispers about a slight hamstring issue. That was enough for Wenger to step in and raise the alarm.

He reflected on past mistakes. During his own reign, Arsenal sometimes leaned too heavily on one star. He hinted at the way the Invincibles dropped level after Robert Pires’ serious injury in 2004. In his eyes, Rice occupies that same level of importance now. Take him out of this team and the dominoes begin to fall. The press weakens, the transitions slow, the defence is more exposed. The whole project suddenly looks far less secure.

Arteta has openly acknowledged how central Rice has become. After the Brighton match he called him the team’s rock and explained that the staff are tracking every detail of his workload. Training intensity, recovery, travel. Arsenal have invested in modern sports science, including advanced monitoring technology and recovery tools. Wenger appreciated those steps but argued that common sense still needs to win. Rest him when possible. Rotate in Thomas Partey or others in certain matches. Sacrifice a cup game if it avoids losing him for months.

The reaction among supporters was instant. Clips of Wenger’s comments went viral and the hashtag calling for Rice to be protected surged across social media. Many fans agreed that he has become the true leader of this side, both vocally and by example. Pundits joined the debate. Some compared his importance to what Kevin De Bruyne represents for Manchester City. Others tried to argue that Arsenal’s squad depth can cover for him. The numbers suggest otherwise.

When Rice is on the pitch, Arsenal’s win rate is elite. Without him, it drops drastically. They struggle to control matches with the same authority. They win fewer second balls and spend more time defending their own area. That statistical gap backs up Wenger’s view that this is not just praise for a good season. It is an identification of the one piece that the entire puzzle is built around.

Wenger’s track record with talent gives his words extra weight. He was the man who turned Thierry Henry into a world star and trusted Cesc Fabregas as a teenager. His assessment of Rice is that he is not simply another big signing. He is the cornerstone of Arteta’s project. In a young and ambitious squad, Rice brings maturity, game reading and leadership that cannot be easily replaced.

As Arsenal chase their first league title since the Invincibles, Wenger’s message doubles as both blessing and warning. He clearly believes this team can go the distance, but only if their main engine stays running. The club now faces a delicate balancing act. Keep Rice on the pitch enough to maintain momentum, but not so much that his body breaks at the worst possible moment.

The Emirates will watch every sprint, every tackle and every grimace from Rice with a little more anxiety after these comments. One mistimed challenge or awkward landing could reshape the season. For Wenger, the conclusion is simple. If Arsenal want to avoid disaster and keep their dreams alive, they must do everything in their power to protect Declan Rice.