Seven Arsenal players could miss Liverpool clash after new injury blow
Arsenal could be without several of their key players for Sunday's game against Liverpool
Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday was a welcome return to form, but it may come at a cost as they gear up for a crucial Premier League match against Liverpool this Sunday.
The Gunners’ win was overshadowed by an injury to summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, leaving Mikel Arteta potentially without up to seven players for the visit of the table-topping Reds.
Arteta remains optimistic, stating that his side will be “flying” come match day.
However, the reality is that the team will be missing several key players for one of the season’s most significant fixtures.
Despite initially attempting to continue after receiving treatment, he was ultimately replaced by teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arteta told Amazon Prime after the game: “He felt something.
“He could not continue playing.
“So, [it is a] bit of a worry.
During the press conference, the Spaniard was asked about the condition of the versatile defender.
“With Riccy he had to come off because he felt something,” he said.
“I don’t know the extent of it so in that sense not great news.”
Losing another defender is the last thing Arteta needs, especially with center-back William Saliba suspended for one match after being sent off during Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth.
This result left third-placed Arsenal four points behind the leaders and three points adrift of second-placed Manchester City.
However, Arteta was boosted by the return of Ben White on Tuesday, confirming that White’s substitution at half-time was not injury-related.
“Ben, it was my decision to take him out,” he said.
“He had a yellow card and we’ve played enough with 10 men in recent periods.
“They had a lot of density on that side, a lot of players on that side, so I didn’t want to take any chances there.”
The Gunners are currently missing three other defenders: Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney.
Only Timber is believed to have a chance of returning for the match against Liverpool.
Additionally, Arsenal are facing significant fitness issues further up the pitch, as captain Martin Odegaard has not played since August 31 due to a serious ankle injury sustained while on international duty with Norway last month.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have five players either unavailable or doubtful for the trip to Arsenal, including goalkeeper Alisson Becker, defender Conor Bradley, midfielder Harvey Elliott, and forwards Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota.
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