Arsenal are once again being gripped by a team selection crisis heading into their clash with Liverpool on Sunday.
The Gunners are preparing for the big clash without some of their most important players available to Mikel Arteta.
William Saliba is set to serve a one-match suspension after picking up a red card against Bournemouth, which the club won’t appeal against.
Martin Odegaard is still an injury concern, while the likes of Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still sidelined with issues of their own.
Arteta revealed that Bukayo Saka is a huge injury doubt for the clash with Liverpool, having not trained since returning from international duty with a hamstring problem.
It puts Arsenal in the midst of a small crisis before they face Liverpool, which isn’t helped by the latest on Riccardo Calafiori.
The defender is now another doubt after falling awkwardly on his knee during the Champions League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk.
So with that said, here’s a look at some replacements for Calafiori to deal with the threat of Mohamed Salah on the wing.
- READ MORE: Five key talking points from Mikel Arteta’s press conference after Arsenal win vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Riccardo Calafiori replacements for Arsenal vs Liverpool
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Returning to the squad on Tuesday night, Oleksandr Zinchenko is back in the fold after suffering some injury issues.
The defender could force his way into the starting lineup against Liverpool, though there may be some concerns.
The Ukrainian international hasn’t got the best record against Salah, who often causes him plenty of problems defensively.
Given the task at hand, Zinchenko will have a huge challenge in keeping the Egyptian international quiet if he starts at the Emirates Stadium.
Jakub Kiwior
Another option available to Arteta is Jakub Kiwior, who has seen very little action so far this season.
The defender was at fault for Bournemouth’s second goal over the weekend, playing a poor backpass that led to the penalty.
However, he has been otherwise relatively solid at left-back and centre-back when required over the past year.
The Polish international has one win, one draw and one defeat in his appearances against Liverpool across competitions.
The latest of which was a 3-1 win over the Reds where he came off the bench to play at left-back, where he got an assist.
Jurrien Timber
Quite possibly the ideal option to play at left-back is Jurrien Timber, though there is still uncertainty over his condition.
The defender has been missing over the past few games with an injury concern, which also saw him miss out against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
There is some hope that the Netherlands international will be able to feature, with his ability to lock down a flank while also offering more passing solutions is key.
One issue that may arise from availability though, is the fact that he could be asked to play at centre-back in place of Saliba.
It remains to be seen whether Timber will be available and if so, what role he will be asked to play.
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