Declan Rice’s withdrawal in the 80th minute at the Emirates had looked routine. Fan footage shared after the final whistle has made it look like something else.

The 27-year-old is seen crouching on the turf for several seconds, slowly rising, placing a hand on the back of his leg and limping away before Zubimendi was readied on the touchline, according to AOL and Sports Mole. No club statement has followed and Mikel Arteta has not confirmed an injury.

A problem that goes back to last Christmas

Rice has been playing through back and hamstring discomfort since late last year, as Brit Brief notes, and spoke publicly during the World Cup about the nerve pain he had carried through the previous season. He later withdrew from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the Nations League window on load-management grounds, with the fixtures against Czechia, Croatia and Spain going ahead without him.

Whether the Everton substitution was that same issue flaring up, a precaution or something new is the question Arsenal are unlikely to answer before Tuesday.

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Saka already ruled out

The timing is awkward. Bukayo Saka limped off at Bayern Munich on 21 October with a thigh problem, and Arteta’s early read of the injury was bleak.

“Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch and is struggling to walk without any pain and is restricted to movement, they are not good signs,” Arteta told reporters, as relayed by Yahoo Sports.

Saka is expected to miss at least six weeks, with some reports pushing the lay-off closer to two months.

Riccardo Calafiori added to the night’s casualty list by heading straight down the tunnel at full time. Arteta said the Italian “had a slight issue, we don’t know what it is”, according to Brit Brief.

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Arteta’s chance to rest Rice

Arsenal visit Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday before a Premier League trip to Liverpool. The cup tie is the obvious window for Arteta to leave Rice out if the medical staff want eyes on the hamstring before league football resumes.

The Everton result left Arsenal level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, with City losing 2-1 at Aston Villa earlier the same weekend.

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