Arsenal faces a challenging test in the upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield, with manager Mikel Arteta expressing concerns over the fitness of several key midfielders.
The Gunners currently hold a slender one-point lead over their title rivals after a convincing 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in the previous match.
The absence of crucial players like Mohamed Elneny, Jorginho, Jurrien Timber, Fabio Vieira, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Thomas Partey in the encounter against Brighton raised concerns. Notably, Elneny and Jorginho face race-against-time scenarios to be cleared for Saturday's crucial encounter.
Arteta had earlier disclosed that a swift return for Thomas Partey against Liverpool would be "incredibly fast."
However, the manager emphasized that any returning players should have minimal impact on the starting XI, which sees David Raya in goal, supported by the solid defensive duo of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The responsibility of containing Liverpool's potent attacking duo, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, falls on Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White.
In midfield, Declan Rice will assume the role of the deepest-lying midfielder, providing a crucial link between defense and attack.
Further up the pitch, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, the latter boasting four goals in his last seven matches, offer support to the attacking trio of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli.
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