Arsenal face a major fitness test for Noni Madueke ahead of their Premier League trip to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Bukayo Saka remains unavailable with the quad injury he sustained against Bayern Munich earlier this month.
Mikel Arteta confirmed the club will make a late decision on Madueke, who missed the midweek Carabao Cup draw with Fleetwood Town. "We don’t know yet, we’ll have a training session tomorrow," the manager said. "[We’ll] see if he can complete that full session tomorrow and as I said, I will know whether he’s available or not."
Arteta reported that Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, and Christos Tzolis are all back in training and expected to be in contention for the squad. The news on Rice and Calafiori is a significant boost for a side sitting second in the Premier League with 21 points from eight games. They travel to face a Liverpool side in fourth place, making this a key early-season encounter at the top of the standings.
Max Dowman will serve a three-match suspension following his red card against Fleetwood, while long-term absentees are not a concern for this fixture. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions, a run that includes a 2-0 league win over Everton and that dramatic penalty shootout victory against Fleetwood after a 1-1 draw.
With Saka out, the focus shifts to other attacking options. Saka is the club's top scorer this season with three goals in seven appearances, so his absence is keenly felt. Eberechi Eze, who scored in the Champions League against Bayern, and the potentially returning Madueke are expected to carry more creative burden. Thierry Henry has publicly backed both players to deliver in a high-pressure environment like Anfield.
Kai Havertz is set to lead the line, supported by Martin Odegaard, who converted a penalty in the midweek cup tie. The defensive partnership of Ezri Konsa and Gabriel, who both scored in the win over Everton, will be key against a Liverpool attack seeking a sixth straight win.
This match begins a demanding run of games for Arsenal that includes meetings with Newcastle, Manchester City, and Tottenham after the upcoming international break. Handling this period successfully is seen by some as critical to their title ambitions. The team's current form of three wins and two draws from their last five provides a solid platform, but the test at Anfield is arguably their toughest yet.
Arsenal's next match is the trip to Liverpool, scheduled for 4.30pm GMT on Sunday, November 1.
More detail at liverpoolfc.com
