Liverpool vs Arsenal will be an English Premier League match shorn of several stars, as both teams continue their struggle with injuries to quite a few of their key players.
While a Premier League season is not a Premier League season without an Arsenal injury crisis, Liverpool seem to have stolen the North London team's thunder a little bit with Jurgen Klopp's high intensity game taking its toll on the players.
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Hamstring might well be a word banned at Anfield for the moment, after player after player fell prey to an injury to that particular muscle. Klopp played Tiago Illori and Luis Enrique as the defenders in the FA Cup third round draw with Exeter on Friday night, after losing all four of his senior centre-backs to injury.
However, as Arsene Wenger predicted, Klopp has two of senior centre-backs returning to the squad to face Arsenal, while new signing Steven Caulker will be an option as well.
Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure, the former Arsenal great, will be available for the big Premier League match, while Caulker's quick loan signing from QPR means, the former Tottenham and Southampton man could also be considered.
Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel remain on the treatment table, along with Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi, who underwent knee surgery recently, despite, initially, being out with a hamstring problem. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is a slight doubt.
While those key players will be a miss for Klopp, the manager is expected to have James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Jordon Ibe back in the squad, making the current injury crisis for Liverpool, not too bad – at least not by Arsenal usual injury crisis standards.
Arsene Wenger still has a few worries on the injury front, with Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Jack Wilshere not quite recovered from their respective fitness problems, while David Ospina is a doubt as well after missing the FA Cup match.
Tomas Rosicky, though, has returned to training after a long absence, while Mikel Arteta played in the second half of Arsenal's 3-1 win over Sunderland in the FA Cup. The likes of Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal and Mathieu Flamini, who were rested in the FA Cup match, should also make their returns.
Expected lineups: Liverpool: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Sakho, Moreno; Henderson, Can, Lucas, Milner; Ibe, Firmino, Lallana.
Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Flamini, Ramsey; Campbell, Ozil, Walcott; Giroud.
