Mikel Arteta confirms three Arsenal injury doubts for Liverpool clash

BREAKING Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal injury latest for Liverpool clash after training absence

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that three key Arsenal stars are major doubts for Sunday's Premier League game vs Liverpool, including Bukayo Saka.

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Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are all doubts for Sunday's home clash with Liverpool, with late fitness tests needed. The Gunners boss has conceded it is "very, very uncertain" that any of the three will be ready in time.

Saka - who has seven assists and three goals in 10 games this season - has not played since picking up a muscle problem in England’s defeat to Greece this month. Timber has been sidelined since October 1 while Calafiori sustained a knee issue against Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek.

All three were absent from open training on Friday. Arteta might only have four available senior defenders this weekend - Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko - with William Saliba suspended following his red card at Bournemouth last weekend.

Takehiro Tamiyasu is a doubt while Kieran Tierney has not recovered from his hamstring injury picked up at Euro 2024. The Gunners are also without captain Martin Odegaard, who suffered ligament damage while playing for Norway in September.

Arteta has indicated that a number of other stars face a race against time to be fit to face table-toppers Liverpool. "We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available. It’s very, very uncertain," he said on Friday. "[Calafiori] needs some more tests.

"Yesterday he had some, today he’s going to have some more. Last time we thought it was really bad and then he ended up playing two days later.

"Saka? He’s done a bit of training on the grass. How far we can get him before Sunday is another question. We will see.

"It was the first session that [Timber] could have some involvement. He’s been out a while. We thought he would be further ahead."

Meanwhile, Arne Slot has indicated that Diogo Jota is a doubt for Liverpool, having sustained an upper body knock against Chelsea last Sunday. He was not due to train on Friday.

Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley face late calls while Harvey Elliott has not yet returned from his foot fracture sustained in September. Liverpool go into the game having won all six away games so far this campaign.

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