Ex-Arsenal star tells England players to fake injuries and insists League Cup is more important than World Cup

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka should avoid playing twice during the international break to stay fresh for Arsenal’s quadruple push.

That is the view of former Gunners forward winger Perry Groves, while speaking on the latest episode of talkSPORT’s Inside Gooners.

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His old side remain in the hunt for four trophies this season after reaching the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

As well as sitting nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, they face an FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on April 4.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could end their six-year wait for a major trophy against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

Their success on all four fronts this season means Mikel Arteta’s side have already played 49 matches in all competitions this term.

That figure is guaranteed to reach 60 before the end of the campaign, even if they are knocked out in the last eight of the FA Cup and Champions League.

Following Tuesday’s win over Bayer Leverkusen, Declan Rice admitted he was ‘shattered’ as he lifted the lid on the demands of their fixture schedule.

Arsenal stars told to fake injuries

Whilst Groves accepts Arsenal have been fortunate with injuries of late, he is keen for their international stars to limit the risks this month.

The 60-year-old has urged the likes of Rice and Bukayo Saka to fake injuries in order to avoid playing more than once for their countries.

England face Uruguay and Japan in friendlies later this month, with the Arsenal pair expected to be included in Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

Reacting to Rice’s comments on Inside Gooners, Groves said: “You get more injuries when your team’s not doing really well.

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“If you look at us now, we had our injuries at the beginning of the season, and we’ve come through that period of time. Touch wood at the minute we’re ok.

“I’m hoping he (Rice) might have thrown that out, and you’re hoping there’s been a conversation with Thomas Tuchel with Saka and Declan Rice just saying the worst ways out of the two friendlies, they play one.

“If you can’t come to that agreement, you tell Declan Rice, Saka and all these international players, ‘by the way, you tell your international manager that you’ve got a stiff calf or a bit of a twinge in your back. You don’t play, you get back here.’

“Because this is going to be the most important time of their careers. I’m not bothered about internationals, I’m not bothered about the World Cup.

“As a club career, they are on the brink of history. So if you have to throw one in and don’t play for your country, tough, because this doesn’t come round season after season after season.

“This is the most important. I’m more club than country. Club for me is more important than country. I’d rather we won the League Cup than England won the World Cup.

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“I get miles more pleasure out of us Gooners winning a trophy because England don’t win the World Cup, you’re upset for a day or two. If you’re a Gooner, it upsets you for two or three weeks.”

Arsenal have not won a major trophy since lifting the FA Cup back in 2020.

They currently sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with seven matches remaining.

Maintaining their advantage would secure a first title since their unbeaten 2003/04 campaign.

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What did Rice say?

Following the win over Leverkusen, Rice spoke to TNT Sports pitchside at the Emirates Stadium.

The midfielder explained: “I’m shattered. It’s nonstop.

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“We’re in all the competitions still, so it’s been every three days since October, so it’s been different, but we’ve been coping with it as best we can.

“It is really tiring, but when you have a night like tonight, round of 16, to get through to the quarter-finals you find energy and you find ways to win. We keep doing that, so it’s all good.”

Rice has made a total of 43 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions so far this season.

Meanwhile, he has featured in England’s last 10 matches, dating back to missing out with a toe injury in November 2024.