Liverpool could be without five key players for Arsenal game including £69m star

Liverpool could be without five key players ahead of Thursday’s Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are presently top of the table and can go eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City with a victory tomorrow.

Ahead of the game, Liverpool could be without five key players after an update from manager Arne Slot.

Alexander Isak (fractured leg) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) are already out for the long term after undergoing surgeries for serious injuries.

Alongside them, the reigning English champions are without Wataru Endo due to an ankle issue, while Mohamed Salah is away on international duty.

Slot has now revealed that Hugo Ekitike is a potential doubt, having yet to train after a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Fulham draw.

He told Liverpool’s official website: “He has not trained with us until now and let’s see if he can today.

“I’ve said, I think, two or three days ago when we played Fulham that he is not going to be out for long, but because games come so fast he is in between maybe training with the team or it would take him one or two days extra.”

Ekitike joined the Reds from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69 million last summer. He has been a bright spark for them in a frustrating campaign.

The Frenchman has netted 11 goals alongside two assists from 26 appearances, and was in good scoring form before his untimely hamstring issue.

Ekitike is facing a race against time to prove his fitness, and his absence will undoubtedly be a boost for the Gunners ahead of Thursday’s meeting.

Regardless, Arsenal should go into the game with plenty of confidence on the back of seven straight wins in all competitions, including five in the league.

The Gunners have not beaten Arne Slot’s side in the last three meetings and suffered a 1-0 loss at Anfield after a stellar Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick.

They have the opportunity to avenge the defeat and boost their league title prospects.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

The post Liverpool could be without five key players for Arsenal game including £69m star first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.