Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that some of his star players will miss Saturday’s match against Arsenal at Anfield. This comes as both sides prepare for an important match in the context of this season’s Premier League title race.
Arsenal have almost caught up with their opponents, with 12 wins in the opening 17 games of the campaign and top the table. Just behind them are Liverpool, who have only suffered one loss so far but have one win less than halfway through the season.
Below them in third place is Aston Villa, while reigning champions Manchester City have started slowly and are in fourth place after a historic treble last season. Given how even the division is right now, it’s not surprising that both teams feel they can earn a boost in the title race.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has predicted that it will be a tough game and the atmosphere will be accordingly. He told the media on Friday: “The atmosphere will be fantastic. The two teams are in a very good moment, in a very good position, in a very strong position. They will be in a good position to win and to compete for the victory. It will be an intense game.”
The Reds come into the game without some key players, who have suffered some serious injuries in recent weeks. Joel Matip is suspended for the rest of the season due to a knee problem, while Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic have not played since the start of the season.
Andy Robertson was missing with a dislocated shoulder, but Klopp confirmed he will be back soon. He said: “Klopp said yesterday that he has called in a new reinforcement: ‘Robertson is fine. We have to be patient. He can’t do all the physical work yet. We hope it will be in January, but we don’t know.”
In terms of shorter-term injuries, Ryan Gravenberch, Diogo Jota and Alexis MacAllister are all out for the Arsenal game. It was a small boost for the Reds when the manager confirmed that the former of those players is back, but that the latter two will be missing.
He told reporters: “He [Gravenberch] is back. Macca [MacAllister] and Diogo [Jota] are approaching, but they are not ready for tomorrow.” This means Liverpool will be missing a couple of star players, while Arsenal are approaching the full range of options available to Arteta.
