With Declan Rice waiting, six players from Arsenal are expected to miss their match against Nottingham Forest.

After hammering Crystal Palace 5-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will have to wait to play again.

Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium over the weekend, putting their difficult Christmas period behind them.

After returning from a warm weather training camp in Dubai in top form, Mikel Arteta’s team scored goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Martinelli twice. With the victory, the Gunners’ lead over Tottenham is now three points, and they are now third in the Premier League, five points behind leaders Liverpool.

With Arsenal out of play this coming weekend due to their FA Cup elimination at the first hurdle, attention will now shift to their trip to Nottingham Forest in a week. After many temporary delays due to injuries, the respite allows some players to recover in time for a busy February.

Declan Rice was pulled off the pitch versus Palace after the hour due to a hamstring problem, and Jakub Kiwior replaced Gabriel Magalhaes after he took a small hit. Arteta affirmed following the game that tightness was the reason for Rice’s substitution.

“He was experiencing some tightness,” he stated. I am unsure about the muscle in question. However, it is clear that we don’t want to take any chances when he says that at three to zero.”

In regards to Gabriel, he stated: “He had some discomfort from a tackle in the first half and he was struggling a bit so it was the right moment to take him off the pitch.”