Mikel Arteta offers injury update on key Arsenal trio after they missed training ahead of crunch Liverpool showdown
- The Gunners boss has given an update on Saka, Timber and Calafiori's fitness
- Arteta struck a positive tone, but it remains unclear whether the trio will be fit
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Mikel Arteta has offered a positive update about Arsenal's injured trio Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori ahead of their crunch Premier League showdown with Liverpool this weekend.
Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon, and the trio are hoping to be fit enough to take part after suffering a variety of knocks and injuries.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Arteta delivered a hopeful update about the players' statuses – but has told fans to temper their expectations ahead of the match.
'We are going to do our very best to somehow have them available,' Arteta told reporters, 'but it's very, very uncertain.'
Arsenal boss Arteta gave an update on the fitness of key injured trio ahead of Liverpool clash
Arteta said winger Bukayo Saka (pictured) could play after returning to training on Friday
Saka, 23, has missed two Arsenal games since picking up a knock on international duty earlier in the month, when England lost 2-1 to Greece at Wembley.
Arteta's original prognosis for Saka's injury was unclear after Arsenal's Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, but he told reporters that the winger is now back in training.
Sky Sports News originally reported Saka was one of three players including Timber and Calafiori that had not taken part in training on Friday, but the Gunners boss countered otherwise.
'He's done a bit of training on the grass,' Arteta said. 'How far we can get him to Sunday, that's a different question. We have another day, which is a good thing.'
Gunners legend David Seaman added credence to Arteta's update, telling fans on his own podcast, Seaman Says, that he saw Saka training in the flesh.
Dutch international Jurrien Timber played Arsenal's first six Premier League matches of the season, but has since picked up a muscular injury, which he is struggling to recover from.
Arteta confirmed the defender also remains a doubt for their Prem-topping showdown against Liverpool on Sunday, which could see the Gunners leap-frog their opponents to the top of the table, should they win.
'It is the first session that he [Timber] could have some involvement,' Arteta said in the press conference. 'We expected him to be further back [in his recovery].'
New signing Riccardo Calafiori jarred his knee in Arsenal's match against Shakhtar on Tuesday, and the defender remains a fifty-fifty to return.
'He needs some more tests,' said Arteta. 'He had some yesterday, today he's going to have some more and from there we will know.
'Last time, we thought it was really bad and he ended up playing two or three days after, so let's see.'
Defender Jurrien Timber (left) has been sidelined with a muscular injury since early October
Riccardo Calafiori is also a doubt after getting a knock against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday
In addition to captain Martin Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are also out due to injuries.
William Saliba, meanwhile, will miss out to suspension, after picking up a red card in Arsenal's first defeat of the season to Brentford last weekend.
The good news for Gunners fans is full back Oleksandr Zinchenko has recovered from a calf injury and is available for selection.
