Latest injury news ahead of Liverpool vs Arsenal as Mikel Arteta without two players and three others doubtful
Bukayo Saka receives treatment during an Arsenal game
Bukayo Saka is out of Sunday's clash between Liverpool vs Arsenal
(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Arsenal will be without Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz when they face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, Mikel Arteta has confirmed. The Gunners boss confirmed these two latest injury blows as well as three more players he anxiously awaits fitness updates on.
The Premier League title can't be decided in August but victory against a rival expected to challenge can make a real statement. As reigning champions Liverpool meet their runners-up Arsenal on the third week of the new campaign, they are two of only three clubs to have collected maximum points so far.
Arne Slot's men have beaten Bournemouth and Newcastle United, now they will be seeking any possible advantages when they host the Gunners on Sunday afternoon.
They could be helped by Arteta having up to five players sidelined when picking his squad on Sunday, including star attacker Bukayo Saka.
The 23-year-old was substituted after scoring in Arsenal's 5-0 win over Leeds United last weekend with what appeared to be a hamstring problem. Although the issue is not as bad as first feared, Arteta has confirmed the player will be absent from facing the Reds on Sunday.
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"Bukayo is doing better, but he will be out for a few weeks. No surgery," he told reporters at his press conference on Friday.
"It's not as bad as the previous one, very unfortunate. It was an action that required full power from him, had to change direction and he felt something."
Another Arsenal attacker, Havertz, had missed the Leeds fixture altogether having sustained a knee injury in his side's season opener against Manchester United. This week he was not named in Germany's squad for September internationals.
Now, ahead of Liverpool, Arteta has clarified: "I think it will be weeks, but hopefully not months. It's very sad. This is our profession and now we lose another player for many weeks."
The Gunners boss will then be sweating over the availability of Martin Odegaard, Ben White and Christian Norgaard for his visit to Anfield.
The former was another casualty against Leeds as he was forced off in the first half with a shoulder injury.
Arteta has said: "We don't know yet [if Odegaard is available], he hasn't trained yet. If he does it will be tomorrow.
"No, there is an injury there but if everything can go well and he can cope with it."
White missed the meeting with Leeds while Norgaard missed both that and Arsenal's prior match at Old Trafford, then was omitted from Denmark's squad for upcoming internationals.
"We don't know. Let's see how both are tomorrow to give them a chance for the game," Arteta said about the duo.
From a Liverpool perspective Slot has announced Alexis Mac Allister, Conor Bradley and Virgil van Dijk have all been in training to play Arsenal.
The Argentine midfielder missed Monday's match against Newcastle, the Northern Irish full-back came on during it and the Netherlands captain had been on the receiving end of a red-card challenge by Anthony Gordon.
Jeremie Frimpong had already been confirmed absent with a hamstring issue until after the September international break.
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