“Arteta delivers setback update as two Arsenal players ruled out for Liverpool clash”

 

 

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal will be without two players for Thursday night’s clash with Liverpool, while a third remains a late fitness concern ahead of the Emirates Stadium showdown. On the other side, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is also dealing with an injury dilemma, as Hugo Ekitike’s availability remains uncertain after he missed last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Fulham.

Although the French forward still has a chance of recovering in time, Liverpool are already set to be without Alexander Isak, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni due to injury, while Mohamed Salah is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Arteta confirmed that defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera will not be involved against the Reds. As quoted by Sky Sports, the Arsenal boss explained that both players are still sidelined but edging closer to a return, needing only to complete the final phase of their rehabilitation before becoming available again.

Arteta did, however, offer a more optimistic update on Kai Havertz. The German midfielder is being carefully managed after a lengthy absence for two separate issues, but he is close to full fitness. Having trained again on Wednesday morning, there is hope he could feature, with Arteta keen to have Havertz back at his best as soon as possible.

As things stand, Arsenal look set to field a slightly weakened defence, while Liverpool may arrive with an even more stretched attacking lineup if Ekitike fails to recover in time. Despite missing Calafiori and Mosquera, the Gunners can still rely on their highly rated centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba.

Gabriel once again underlined his threat from set pieces by scoring in last weekend’s 3-2 victory at Bournemouth, and he also found the net against Liverpool at Anfield late last season. Both he and Arteta will be well aware of Liverpool’s recent struggles when defending dead-ball situations.

Several pundits are tipping Arsenal for a comfortable win despite their absentees, and while that view has merit on paper, Liverpool will believe they possess enough quality to disrupt the league leaders’ momentum.

While injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, best wishes go to Calafiori and Mosquera as they continue their recoveries.