As Arsenal prepares to host Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, a trio of concerns has emerged for the Gunners, with Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber all doubtful for the crucial Premier League match.
Saka has been struggling with a hamstring issue, which kept him out of Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth last Saturday. Timber has been out for three games with a muscle problem, while Calafiori sustained a knee injury during the Gunners’ Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Despite the ongoing struggles, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remained optimistic, stating that the trio would have to be assessed on a day-by-day basis. “Saka has done a bit of training on the grass,” Arteta said. “How far we can get him to playing on Sunday is a different question. We have another day, which is a good thing, but we’ll see.” As for Calafiori, Arteta expressed uncertainty, stating that more tests needed to be conducted. “He needs more tests. Yesterday he had some, today he’s going to have more and after that, we’ll know. Last time, we thought it was really bad and he ended up playing two or three days after, so let’s see how it is.”
Meanwhile, Timber had a glimmer of hope of returning, with Arteta revealing that he had been involved in a training session on Friday, albeit for the first time. “He’s been out for a while; we expected him to be further back than where he is at the moment. But again, we have to wait and see.”
In addition to the injury concerns, Arsenal will also be without captain Martin Odegaard, following his ankle issue, as well as full-backs Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, both dealing with knee and hamstring problems, respectively.
But in the wake of the team’s win over Shakhtar Donetsk, Arteta praised the efforts of his squad, particularly William Saliba, who will be absent due to a one-game suspension for his red card against Bournemouth. Arsenal’s statistics underline the impact Saliba has had, with the team winning 74% of their games with him, compared to under 46% without him.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are looking to maintain their position at the top of the table, despite the challenge posed by Manchester City. As the Reds prepare to face Arsenal, Arteta emphasized the importance of. “This is a big match, a big opportunity, and we love these kind of matches at the Emirates. The team is really looking forward to it.”
The Gunners will need to tip the balance in their favor, as the statistical data highlights that they have conceded twice as many goals on average without Saliba. Nevertheless, Arteta is confident in his team’s ability to adapt and overcome the adversity. “We don’t feel sorry for ourselves, we face it and we know how good we are. We have different options [in defence]… we have to find a solution.” The task ahead seems daunting, but as Arteta succinctly put it, “we have to maintain playing with dominance and belief. Our belief, energy, and commitment are needed in a big match like this.”
