Arsenal: Arsenal have been dealt a significant injury setback with the news that forward Bukayo Saka is expected to be sidelined for up to four weeks with a hamstring injury, ruling him out of Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Liverpool and England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The 23-year-old was forced from the pitch during the second half of Saturday’s commanding 5-0 victory over Leeds United and subsequent assessment has confirmed a significant strain.

According to Oman News Agency, further compounding Manager Mikel Arteta’s selection headaches, club captain Martin Odegaard is now considered a major doubt for the trip to Anfield. The Norwegian playmaker sustained a shoulder injury in the first half of the same match and was substituted while appearing to be in considerable discomfort. He was later seen leaving Emirates Stadium with his arm in a sling, though he has not yet been formally ruled out of the fixture against the champions.

Despite the immediate concerns, there is a sense of optimism within the club that neither player is facing an extended period on the treatment table. This is particularly true in the case of Saka, whose absence is a stark reminder of a similar issue that caused him to miss three months of the previous campaign. The current diagnosis, while disappointing, suggests a much shorter recovery timeline.

Arsenal’s summer recruitment has, however, placed them in a far stronger position to handle such absences compared to previous seasons. The arrivals of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze have substantially deepened the squad’s attacking resources. Arteta can now call upon a variety of options including Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and promising academy products Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman to mitigate the potential losses of two of his most influential attackers for one of the season’s most challenging fixtures.