Liverpool are without five players heading into their clash with Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta’s side are arguably facing even more problems in terms of injury.
The Reds make the trip to north London on Sunday looking to make it eight wins from nine and stay top of the Premier League at the expense of a title rival.
Arne Slot‘s side will do so without Alisson, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and Conor Bradley, while Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to play through pain.
But Arsenal are facing issues of their own, with footage from their London Colney training ground on Friday seemingly confirming Bukayo Saka will miss out.
Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber not in training today ahead of Sunday’s game against Liverpool ? pic.twitter.com/iO2KFRrv04
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 25, 2024
Saka has missed the last two games with a muscle injury and was considered a doubt for Sunday, with his absence from training two days prior suggesting he will at least not be fit to start.
Riccardo Calafiori (knee) and Jurrien Timber (muscle) were also not involved, with both unlikely to make the squad against Liverpool.
They join Martin Odegaard (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) on the injury list, while William Saliba is suspended after his red card against Bournemouth.
Without Saliba, Calafiori, Timber, Tomiyasu and Tierney, Arteta could struggle to deploy a cohesive back line, with questions marks over centre-back, left-back and right-back.
Ben White had been tipped to shift over to centre-back to cover for Saliba, but with Timber unavailable at right-back that may not be possible.
Arteta does have the option of moving Thomas Partey to right-back, but that then opens up a gap in midfield next to Declan Rice.
With Calafiori, Tomiyasu and Tierney all unavailable it remains to be seen who starts at left-back, too, with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and 18-year-old midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly the options.
Furthermore, without Saka, Arteta may be required to start two of the struggling trio of Gabriel Martinelli, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus.
Possible Arsenal XI: Raya; Partey, White, Gabriel, Kiwior; Merino, Rice; Sterling, Trossard, Martinelli; Havertz
