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.