The latest Arsenal injury news ahead of Mikel Arteta’s team facing Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday, with updates on the fitness of Bukayo Saka and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Jurgen Klopp brings his Anfield natives to Emirates Stadium this weekend to kick off the two teams’ FA Cup adventures. It is the first time that Arsenal meet Liverpool in the tournament since February 2014. And Arteta will hope to repeat Arsene Wenger’s 2-1 win over the Reds.
Arsenal have a disappointing record in their more recent clashes with Liverpool, having only won one of the past eight. Arteta took a 3-2 win over the Merseyside natives in the Premier League in October 2022. The last two clashes, both at Anfield, ended as scored stalemates.
Arsenal’s injury list ahead of facing Liverpool in the FA Cup
Arsenal will have a depleted squad for Arteta to choose from when Liverpool visit the capital due to injury problems. The Gunners are also without Takehiro Tomiyasu after he joined the Japan side at the Asia Cup. The 25-year-old had only just returned from a calf injury, as well.
His departure from the treatment room at London Colney only eased Arsenal’s injury issues ahead of meeting Liverpool, though. So, with that in mind, here is the latest situation facing Gunners boss Arteta ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round encounter at Emirates Stadium…
Bukayo Saka injury latest
Arsenal will hope to have Saka available for their FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool on Sunday. The Mirror noted recently that the 22-year-old is nursing a recurrent Achilles injury. But Arteta has continued to unleash their forward in almost every fixture so far this season.
Saka missed Arsenal’s Carabao Cup third-round tie at Brentford due to a foot issue and their Premier League win against Manchester City with a thigh injury. He sustained the foot issue in the north London derby with Tottenham before suffering another away to Bournemouth.
Yet Arteta has played Saka in 26 of Arsenal’s 29 games across all competitions, resting him in the Champions League at PSV Eindhoven. The Arsenal academy product has even started 25 games for 2,117 minutes. He has also hit nine and created 12 goals over all competitions.
Expected return: Liverpool (January 7)
Oleksandr Zinchenko injury latest
Arteta has confirmed that Zinchenko faces a late fitness test on his calf injury before Arsenal will decide if he can face Liverpool. The left-back missed the Gunners’ 2-1 loss at Fulham on New Year’s Day due to the issue. But he has shown signs of progress in training in the week.
“He is progressing well,” Arteta declared during his pre-Liverpool press conference on Friday. “We have another training session tomorrow and we will evaluate whether he is available or not to play and start the game.”
Zinchenko has featured in 24 of Arsenal’s games so far this season after starting the term on the sidelines. He missed their entire pre-season plans with a calf injury. While Jakub Kiwior’s performance as a makeshift left-back at Fulham recieved criticism after Raul Jimenez’s goal.
Expected return: Liverpool (January 7)
Ben White injury latest
Arsenal star Ben White should be available to meet Liverpool in the FA Cup despite carrying a knee injury. The 26-year-old has been dealing with the issue since their 1-0 defeat away at Newcastle United in November. But it has only kept White out of their 3-1 win over Burnley.
The right-back has played through his injury in 10 games across all competitions to reach 28 appearances for the season. Arteta was forced to rely on White potentially sooner than the Gunners had hoped for after losing Tomiyasu to his calf injury against Wolves in December.
Expected return: Liverpool (January 7)
Fabio Vieira injury latest
Arteta believes Fabio Vieira is showing signs of progress at London Colney after he required surgery on a groin injury in December. But the maestro is still a while away from making his comeback. Arsenal hope to welcome the 23-year-old back after the upcoming winter break.
“He’s doing well,” Arteta said. “But it was a surgery that required two different things to get results. The first signs are good. Obviously, he is still a bit far from where we want him. But he needs to keep working and, hopefully, in the next few weeks we can have him [return].”
Vieira sustained his injury in training whilst serving a three-match Premier League ban for a red card as Arsenal beat Burnley. He had only missed one match before suffering the injury. But Arteta has only started Vieira in three of his 13 appearances for 417 minutes this term.
Expected return: Crystal Palace (January 20)
Thomas Partey injury latest
Arsenal and Ghana have agreed to let Thomas Partey stay at London Colney to recover from his thigh injury rather than feature at AFCON. The 30-year-old required a minor procedure in November for the issue he suffered in training. But it sidelined Partey for longer than hoped.
Partey was planning to return from the injury when Arsenal meet Liverpool in the FA Cup to also go to AFCON. But Arteta admitted at his pre-match presser that Partey remains a while away from any return. The midfielder has only featured in five games so far this season, too.
“It was about common sense,” he told the press conference. “He has a long-term injury and he really wanted to push his rehab. He really wanted to be with the national team but he is still far from training with the team and it didn’t make a lot of sense for him to be involved.
“Hopefully, it’s weeks [until he’s fit again]. How many weeks it will be will depend a little bit on how long the next step of training with the team will take him. But he’s progressing well.”
Expected return: February 2024
Takehiro Tomiyasu injury latest
Arsenal welcomed Tomiyasu back from his calf injury as a half-time substitute for Kiwior at Fulham on New Year’s Day. But Arteta is again without the defender after he linked up with Japan at the Asia Cup. The 25-year-old will be unavailable until, at least, the end of January.
Expected return: February 2024
Jurrien Timber injury latest
Arsenal lost star summer signing Jurrien Timber on the opening day of the Premier League season to an ACL injury. He suffered the blow early into the second half against Nottingham Forest in August. The defender would also require surgery that threatened his entire season.
Arteta also admits that Timber remains a while away from any return despite showing some progress at London Colney. The 22-year-old is still training away from the Arsenal first-team squad. He only got to play 50 minutes of competitive football after arriving from AFC Ajax.
“Unfortunately, [Jurrien] is a very long-term injury,” Arteta shared at his pre-Liverpool press conference. “He is doing really well. But he is still far from being fit to train with the team or something to compete with the team. So, we don’t expect him back anytime soon.”
Expected return: March-May 2024
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