During Arsenal’s commanding 5-0 win against Crystal Palace, midfielder Declan Rice’s substitution due to a potential injury became a point of concern.

In Arsenal‘s emphatic 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, there was a moment of concern for the team as midfielder Declan Rice had to be substituted off in the 73rd minute due to a possible injury.

Rice, who played a crucial role in Arsenal’s opening goal with a corner that was headed home by Gabriel Magalhães, appeared to be in mild discomfort as he left the pitch.

He was seen mouthing what appeared to be the word ‘hammy’ to teammate Emile Smith Rowe, suggesting a possible hamstring issue.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, was seen having a brief discussion with Rice as he came off. The nature and severity of Rice’s injury were not immediately clear, but his departure from the pitch did raise concerns.

After the game, however, Arteta did not seem too concerned.

“He was feeling some tiredness, I don’t know exactly what muscle he was,” Arteta said. “When we’re 3-0 up [you don’t want to risk it]… The same with big Gabi as well, he had some discomfort and was struggling.”

In his post-match press conference, Arteta confirmed that it is indeed Rice’s hamstring which is the problem. “Declan [Rice] was feeling something, a sensation in his hamstring so we won’t take any risks at 3-0,” he said.

About Gabriel, he added, “Gabriel had a tackle on his knee in first half and was still struggling.”

The Gunners are not scheduled to play another match for 10 days, providing some respite for the team to assess and address any injury concerns.