Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given an update on the fitness of three stricken players ahead of Sunday's Premier League blockbuster against Liverpool at the Emirates.
All eyes have been on whether the trio of Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber will be fit for the clash with the Reds, which William Saliba will sit out through suspension due to his red card against Bournemouth.
Saka has been absent for the meetings with the Cherries and Shakhtar Donetsk on account of the thigh injury he suffered on England duty, while Timber sustained a muscular issue against Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the month.
Meanwhile, Calafiori took an awkward fall in the 1-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the week, although he tried to carry on for a brief moment before trudging off the pitch with the physio.
A report from The Mirror has claimed that the Italy international could be sidelined for a number of weeks due an MCL issue in his knee, and he was not seen in training on Friday, nor were Timber and Saka.
Arteta refuses to rule Arsenal trio out of Liverpool game
© Imago
The first question in Friday's pre-game press conference was inevitably about the fitness of the trio, and in typical Arteta fashion, the Arsenal manager did not commit one way or the other.
"We going to do our very best to somehow have them available, it's very very uncertain," Arteta said, before nodding when asked if that included all of Saka, Timber and Calafiori.
When asked specifically about Saka, Arteta remained as tight-lipped as he could, responding: "He's done a bit of training on the grass, how far we can get him to Sunday that's a different question.
Meanwhile, Calafiori will require a few more tests to determine the exact nature of his problem, suggesting that he will not be available for the game, but Timber has trained and is pushing to be fit.
"Timber is the first session that he could have some involvement, he's been out for a while. We expect him to be further than where he is at the moment but we have to wait and see," Arteta replied.
What could Arsenal's defence look like against Liverpool?
© Imago
Arteta has become famed for his mind games with the media when it comes to team news, but the absences of Saka, Calafiori and Timber from training does suggest that the game will come too soon for all three.
As much as the Gunners boss loves to keep journalists and the opposition guessing, he would surely not hold players back from training as a deliberate ploy to fool the press, so he will have to get inventive in defence.
Thankfully for the Arsenal boss, Ben White is OK after a midweek scare and will likely partner Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of defence, with Thomas Partey moving to right-back if Timber is not available.
Interestingly, Arteta chose teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly to step in for Calafiori in midweek rather than Oleksandr Zinchenko, but the Ukrainian's experience should see him get the nod on this occasion as he tries to quell Mohamed Salah.
Martin Odegaard (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) are also missing for the Gunners, who are third in the Premier League table with a four-point gap to make up to leaders Liverpool.
Ben Knapton
