Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of midfield general Declan Rice as they prepare for Sunday's Premier League fixture against Liverpool at Anfield.

Rice missed the Gunners' shock elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Fleetwood Town in midweek. The only other match he's been absent from this season was against Ipswich Town in the previous round.

The Arsenal midfielder has started every Premier League match this season but fans are awaiting an update on his status for the trip to Liverpool.

Is Declan Rice available to play for Arsenal against Liverpool?

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will provide a full update when he meets with reports for his pre-match press conference but Rice is ahead of the team's other injury doubts, having been involved in training this week.

But his manager revealed after of the Carabao Cup fourth round match that his absence was due to an injury, albeit a minor one, rather than a matter of managing the England star's workload.

Rice is unlikely to sit out a league match if he can avoid it. The 27-year-old played 36 times in the Premier League and 13 times in the Champions League last season despite later admitting to experiencing pain in his lower back and hamstring for much of the season.

He was seen holding the back of his thigh during Arsenal's win against Everton at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps indicating that the minor issue that ruled him out against Fleetwood might be a known one that won't stop him playing at Anfield on Sunday.

Arsenal have a longer build-up than most to get their players fit and firing. Theirs is the only fixture in the Premier League on Sunday, with Everton and Newcastle United meeting again on Monday night and the other 16 teams all playing on Saturday.

Winger Noni Madueke and left-back Riccardo Calafiori also missed the Fleetwood match and are injury doubts, while Christos Tzolis, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are all longer-term absentees.

Arteta's conundrum in wide areas were deepened by Max Dowman's red card at Fleetwood. The teenager will miss the Liverpool game as he begins his suspension.

Rice has never won at Anfield. His two wins against Liverpool were for West Ham United at the London Stadium and Arsenal at the Emirates.

Arsenal start the weekend in second place behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, with Liverpool six points behind them in fourth and keen to close the gap.

Saturday's fixture list includes Man City's home game against third-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.