The latest Arsenal injury list and expected return dates ahead of their Premier League showdown with Liverpool.
Arsenal face a key test of their Premier League title credentials this weekend when they make the trip up to Anfield to face Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool – and it’s a test that could be made much tougher by a slew of fresh injury concerns.
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Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis are all doubts for Sunday’s match, while winger Bukayo Saka seems set to join William Saliba on the sidelines for some weeks to come. Mikel Arteta may be forced to field a distinctly depleted team.
With kick-off fast approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest Arsenal injury news and updates, along with the stricken players’ expected return dates when available.
How long will Bukayo Saka be out for?
Bukayo Saka had to come off early during the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich - and could be out for some timeplaceholder image
Bukayo Saka had to come off early during the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich - and could be out for some time | Getty Images
Bukayo Saka’s injury is the most serious concern currently facing Arsenal, and the England international seems set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after injuring his left quadriceps during the recent Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
Saka was substituted after just 10 minutes after going down in evident pain and while Arteta described the injury as “really bad news,” he also told the press that further scans were needed to determine the extent of the issue.
"We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialist,” Arteta said, adding that fluid build-up had made an early diagnosis difficult. “Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch [and] he’s struggling to walk without any pain, he’s restricted to movement, they are not good signs. So again, let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment and then let you know.”
Early reports suggest that Saka has likely sustained a grade 2 hamstring tear, an injury which would likely sideline him for six to eight weeks, but that diagnosis has not been confirmed publicly by a club who typically keep the details of injuries very close to their chests. A mid-December return appears to be the most likely outcome at this stage.
Another long-term injury victim, William Saliba, could beat Saka back. The Frenchman is making good progress in his rehabilitation from a back injury and stands a chance of playing after the November international break. Barring further setbacks, he should at least be back by early-to-mid December.
Rice, Calafiori & Madueke among doubts for Liverpool v Arsenal
Declan Rice is one of several Arsenal players carrying a knockplaceholder image
Declan Rice is one of several Arsenal players carrying a knock | Getty Images
Several players who sat out Arsenal’s shock midweek EFL Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town are also doubts for Sunday’s game against Liverpool – with Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke sources of particular concern.
Calafiori was also absent from the line-up against Everton last weekend having suffered an unspecified injury that Arteta described as “quite small.” Madueke, meanwhile, picked up an ankle injury in the 2-0 win over David Moyes’ side, with the prognosis currently unclear.
Neither player has been formally ruled out but neither have been seen in training as yet this week. There has, however, been a sighting of Declan Rice, who came off with a knock against Everton but appears likely to be fit to face Liverpool this weekend. That, too, remains unconfirmed, but there is not believed to be any significant concern about the midfielder’s fitness as it stands.
Arsenal are less likely to be able to call upon summer signing Christos Tzolis, however, as the Greek winger continue his recovery from a hamstring injury he sustained while on international duty.
Arteta told the media two weeks ago that Tzolis was out for a “few weeks” more, and with the 24-year-old also seemingly absent from training, the signs point to the possibility that he will miss another game. He should be back in the squad soon, however, and has not been definitively ruled out of the Liverpool match as yet.