Arsenal vs Liverpool: Confirmed team news, injuries and predicted lineups

Posted by Admin October 27, 2024 Football

Arsenal will make late decisions on a number of their players ahead of their showdown with Liverpool this afternoon.

Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have all been considered major doubts this week with the Gunners still without Martin Odegaard after his ‘significant ankle injury’ suffered while on international duty with Denmark.

Saka was forced off while playing for England against Greece, missing last Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth as a result and Tuesday’s Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Saka has resumed light training but worked away from his teammates on Friday and is still considered a major doubt for the visit of the Reds. While Mikel Arteta refused to rule the winger out, he is running out of time to prove his fitness.

There are also growing problems at the back. William Saliba will miss the next three games a result of the straight red card he was shown at the Vitality Stadium last weekend.

Calafiori would have been the most likely candidate to step in and replace the France international.

Riccardo Calafiori also injured — Calafiori limped off midweek (Picture: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

But the former Bologna star is himself a doubt after he was forced off midway through the second-half against Shakhtar with a knee problem, with Arteta bleakly describing the situation as ‘not great news’.

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Calafiori has been used at left-back since being brought into the team and his absence will serve as a major blow particularly with doubts over Timber.

The Dutchman has been excellent this season in both full-back roles but has not featured since the 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the month and could still be unavailable this weekend.

Arsenal injuries

Doubts: Saka (hamstring), Timber (muscle), Calafiori (knee)
Ruled out: Odegaard (ankle), Tierney (hamstring), Tomiyasu (knee)
Suspended: Saliba

Both Timber and Calafiori were also absent from training on Friday.

There were also fears for Ben White after he was replaced at half-time on Tuesday night but Arteta later confirmed that change was a tactical one.

Injuries for Calafiori and Timber create a real problem at left-back with Oleksandr Zinchenko only just returning from injury – having also been tormented by Mohamed Salah in the same fixture last season. Myles Lewis-Skelly was also called upon ahead of the Ukrainian against Shakhtar, replacing Calafiori at left-back.