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Mikel Arteta confirmed that Declan Rice was dealing with "a problem" that forced his early exit against Everton last weekend, potentially putting his participation in doubt for Sunday's massive showdown with Liverpool at Anfield. The influential midfielder is far from Arsenal's only injury worry heading into the fixture.
Rice was among three regular starters who didn't even make the squad for Tuesday's embarrassing defeat to Fleetwood Town. Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke were also sidelined due to injury.
"Riccardo was out, Noni was out with an ankle and Declan Rice finished with a problem the other day," Arteta tersely told Sky Sports following the club's Carabao Cup elimination via a penalty shootout.
Arteta's injury updates have a notorious reputation for being unreliable. He is someone who reportedly encouraged injured players to walk off the team bus into the dressing room just "to put the other manager off the scent," as recalled by former player Oleksandr Zinchenko.
In reality, Arteta himself may not yet have a clear picture of recovery timelines before further scans are carried out this week. There are, however, certain players who can already be ruled out of selection.
Arsenal's Confirmed Absentees for Liverpool Clash
Bukayo Saka joined William Saliba on the long-term injury list after tearing his left quad during last week's Champions League draw with Bayern Munich. The homegrown Arsenal star faces a minimum six-week spell on the sidelines, keeping him out until at least the beginning of December.
Saliba's return date remains unclear. The centre-back has yet to feature this season following surgery on a persistent back issue that ultimately forced him out during this summer's World Cup. Arteta has spoken enthusiastically about the "very, very positive" signs in his recovery but has stopped short of naming any return date, with late November floated as a rough target.
Arsenal's other significant concern is Christos Tzolis. The promising summer signing picked up a thigh injury while representing Greece on international duty in the autumn, sidelining him for approximately three weeks. There is cautious optimism that Tzolis could feature in some capacity on Sunday, though his availability remains uncertain.
Arsenal Selection Dilemmas for Liverpool
Max Dowman's Suspension Could Be Overturned
Max Dowman won't be able to impress Arteta through an FA appeal, but Arsenal could secure the teenager's availability by challenging his red card from the Fleetwood match.
The 16-year-old let his frustrations boil over during a difficult evening by lashing out at Harrison Neal. The contact was minimal yet still resulted in a straight red card. With no VAR available at this stage of the Carabao Cup, Michael Salisbury's on-field ruling could not be reviewed during the game, which strengthens Arsenal's grounds for appeal.
Dowman was found guilty of violent conduct, which the FA Handbook defines as "when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball."
This remains an inherently subjective call and one that the appeals board will examine closely. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher was skeptical about Arsenal's chances. "I think it will fail," he told Sky Sports. "Because of the aggressiveness of Dowman, and you can see the intent."
Should Dowman remain suspended and Madueke fail to recover from the injury room already occupied by Saka, Arteta would be left without a single senior right winger for the trip to Anfield. Tzolis, whose fitness is also uncertain, could potentially switch flanks, while Kai Havertz may be pushed out wide. Martin Ødegaard is another viable option, with his central role easily filled by Mikel Merino.