Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta gives telling injury reaction amid William Saliba doubts

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta gave an update on the side's current injury problems ahead of their Premier League clash with Liverpool - but remained secretive when it came to individual players.

The Gunners take on Jurgen Klopp's side at Anfield in a fixture which could prove to be pivotal in deciding the destination of the Premier League trophy for this year.

If they win, Arsenal will be at least eight points clear of Manchester City - depending on their result at Southampton on Saturday - with eight games to play, although City have a game in hand.

Anfield has been a difficult place for the Gunners to go in recent years, particularly as Klopp and his side established themselves as one of the top teams in Europe.

But this season is different, with Arsenal going for the title this time around, whilst Liverpool are scrambling to finish even in the European qualification places.

This is a game that the Reds realistically cannot afford to lose if they want to keep their fading hopes of finishing in the top four alive.

And Mikel Arteta wasn't about to make their preparation any easier in his pre-match press conference.

Arteta gives Arsenal injury update

Arsenal have had a number of injury problems in recent weeks, with Eddie Nketiah and William Saliba spending time on the sidelines.

With Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu both long-term absentees, Arteta's squad has been stretched.

Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, couldn't start last weekend's 4-1 win over Leeds through illness, but is fully fit in time to travel to Anfield.

And Gabriel Jesus is now back in action, giving Arteta a dilemma over who to start up front.

When it comes to the defence, Rob Holding deputised for the injured Saliba against Leeds, with the Frenchman remaining a doubt for the trip to Anfield.

In his pre-match press conference, Arteta was hopeful that one injured player - likely to be Nketiah or Saliba - would return to training before Sunday, but didn't specify which one.

He stated: "We have some hope with one of them that tomorrow, maybe he is able to train, but we have to see. I'm not going to tell you [which player]."

The reaction is telling from the Spaniard as Arsenal look to use every angle possible to gain the advantage ahead of Sunday's huge clash.

And although Liverpool will no doubt prepare for all eventualities, a return for Nketiah or, in particular, Saliba, could prove to be the difference between victory and dropped points in the title race for the Gunners - and there may be a bit of mind games in Arteta's comments.

Topics: Arsenal, Liverpool, Injury, Premier League, Mikel Arteta, William Saliba, Eddie Nketiah

Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.