Liverpool vs Arsenal: Bukayo Saka Injury Latest Before Anfield Test
Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, November 1, and the headline is obvious. Bukayo Saka looks set to miss it, and that matters. When one of the league’s decisive forwards is taken out of a major fixture, it changes the temperature around the game straight away.
For Liverpool, the timing is useful. Andoni Iraola has started well enough, and the mood has been helped by strong European wins, but there is still a domestic point to settle at Anfield. He has yet to oversee a Premier League home win, and with Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal all on the schedule, there is no room for drift.
Liverpool injuries leave Iraola with decisions
Liverpool have their own issues. Dominik Szoboszlai, Victor Munoz and Jeremie Frimpong are all carrying problems, and none of them can be treated as certain for the run of games ahead. Iraola was clear enough on Munoz, saying: “Victor, he has the knock he received against Brentford in the first half. He could finish the game very well.
“But he’s dealing with some pain since then, and it was too early the other day against Villarreal.
“I don’t know if he’s going to arrive. I think it’s going to be difficult, but I really don’t know.”
Photo: IMAGO
That is not coded language. It usually means a player is unlikely to make it unless something changes very quickly.
Szoboszlai is a little closer, but not close enough for this weekend. Iraola said: “Dom is going to be out this weekend. I don’t think he’s far, but he hasn’t trained with the group still.
“And also, considering the other day that we started him and he had to go out, we will probably take one or two days more than we would last week.
“He’s in a good place. Dom is already training outside alone and is going to train with the group, but he’s not ready for this one.”
Again, straightforward. Liverpool are managing the situation rather than gambling.
Bukayo Saka injury hits Arsenal badly
Arsenal’s problem is bigger. Saka suffered the injury early in the first half against Bayern Munich, and the current expectation is that he will be missing for at least six weeks. One update stated that “some sources say the timeline for a return is 6-8 weeks, but it’s important to update as and when his recovery begins, as these situations are complex.”
Mikel Arteta was cautious, but the tone was hardly optimistic. “He’s got another MRI this afternoon because he had a lot of fluid,” Arteta said. “We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists. Let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive answer.
Photo: IMAGO
“Obviously, when a player has to walk off the pitch, is struggling to walk without any pain and is restricted in his movement, they are not good signs. So again, let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment and then let you know.”
That tells you enough. Saka is not just doubtful for Everton, he is very likely out of the Liverpool game too. Arsenal will also be without Christos Tzolis.
Anfield fixture takes on extra significance
So this is where it stands. Liverpool have injuries, Arsenal have a bigger one. A meeting that already looked important now has an extra layer to it. If Liverpool handle Brighton and Chelsea properly, the Arsenal game becomes a chance to land an early statement. If Arsenal arrive without Saka, they arrive diminished. At this level, that counts.