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Liverpool host Arsenal early next month in a huge Premier League game, and it looks as though the Gunners will have to make do without Bukayo Saka.
The Reds take on Brighton in a big league game at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with Andoni Iraola wary of the threat that the third-place Seagulls will pose:
“I think they are doing incredibly well. They deserved all the praise they are getting and I think there is little doubt there. I think it’s a team that is very well coached, already I think it’s the third season of Fabian [Hurzeler].
“They are very good in every phase of the game. Without the ball they are, for me, one of the best teams and obviously with the ball also they have good quality and we have to be at our very best to beat Brighton because now they are with confidence. But I also see my team in a good place.”
After the Brighton matches comes an EFL Cup clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night, before Anfield hosts its fourth game in a row against champions Arsenal next Sunday.
It is a massive occasion for both sides, but the Gunners will almost certainly be without Saka, who could be out for a reported two months, with Mikel Arteta providing more information on Friday:
“He’s got another MRI this afternoon because he had a lot of fluid,” Mikel said. “We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists. Let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive answer.
“We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialist. Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch, he’s struggling to walk without any pain, he’s restricted to movement, they are not good signs. So again, let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment and then let you know.”
You don’t want to see any player get injured, but there is no denying that Arsenal being without Saka increases Liverpool’s chances of victory next weekend.
Granted, the 25-year-old hasn’t been at his best so far this season, but he is arguably the Gunners’ best and most consistent attacking player, producing end product at will from the right wing.
Saka’s absence means Liverpool could now come up against teenage star Max Dowman, however, unless Arteta goes safer and opts to start Noni Madueke instead.
Dowman is a special talent who plays with no fear, so whether it is Milos Kerkez or Kostas Tsimikas up against him at Anfield, they will need to be switched on throughout.
But not having Saka is a big blow for Arsenal, and Liverpool must look at the Brighton and Gunners fixtures as a massive chance to even get themselves into the Premier League title race.
If the Reds do win those games, they would only be three points adrift of the north Londoners, assuming they win at home to Everton on Saturday afternoon.
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