Arsenal and Liverpool could both be missing several key players for their Premier League showdown on Thursday night at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta confirmed that defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera remain unavailable for Arsenal, while Liverpool face their own injury concerns including Mohamed Salah’s absence due to Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Eight Players Face Potential Absence as Arsenal Host Liverpool in Crucial Premier League Encounter
Arsenal will definitely be without defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera for the Liverpool clash, with manager Mikel Arteta providing an update on their fitness. Calafiori picked up an injury during the warm-up for Arsenal’s clash against Brighton in late December, forcing him out of the matchday squad to be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly. Mosquera has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury against Brentford in early December.
Arteta offered encouragement about both players’ recovery progress, stating they are approaching the final stages of rehabilitation. “No, they’re out again… I think pretty soon, they have to go to the last stage of the rehab, I think everything goes well, hopefully very soon they will be available for selection,” the Arsenal manager said. Youngster Max Dowman also remains unavailable after picking up an ankle injury that has disrupted his breakout season at the club.
Liverpool face their own selection challenges with Mohamed Salah unavailable while participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, who have reached the quarter-final stage where they face Ivory Coast. Striker Hugo Ekitike missed Liverpool’s match against Fulham due to muscle soreness, though manager Arne Slot suggested he could return for the Arsenal fixture depending on his training progress.
Liverpool’s injury list also includes Alexander Isak, who faces a long spell on the sidelines owing to a fracture in his leg sustained after scoring against Tottenham following a late challenge. Wataru Endo has been absent since early December due to injury and has not returned to training, while defender Giovanni Leoni will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury early in his Liverpool career.
The meeting comes as Arsenal sit as clear favourites to win the Premier League title having taken charge at the top of the table, while Liverpool have built themselves back up to be in contention for the top four after experiencing a drop in form earlier in the campaign. Slot got the better of Arteta when the teams last met, with a late Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick goal handing all three points to the champions.
