Mikel Arteta has played down concerns over Arsenal’s number of absentees for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool, demanding his side “go for it”.
The Gunners could be without up to eight first team players. William Saliba will be a permanent absentee after picking up a needless red card in last weekend’s defeat to Bournemouth and will join his injured defensive line-mates on the sidelines; Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard despite a positive updatewill also probably miss the visit of Liverpool. There is hope that Bukayo Saka can recover in time to face the Premier League leaders, but Arteta has not used this long absentee list as an excuse.
“(There will be) a lot of drawing,” arsenalThe defiant head coach told reporters while previewing the weekend clash. “Lots of possibilities, lots of ifs. The team we start probably won’t be the team that finishes the game.
“It happens every week. I have to prepare for the scenarios: what if, what contexts the game throws at you and how are we prepared to make the changes we need to make. Who is available to play 90 minutes, who is not? It’s always like that.
“Obviously we didn’t want to be in this situation, but we’re also very fortunate to have the squad we have, to have the players we have, to have the attitude we have.”
Arteta could still line up with four-time Premier League champion Oleksandr Zinchenko and £20m centre-back Jakub Kiwior as experienced defensive reinforcements. The teenage talents of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri offer more youthful alternatives.
“When it comes to reacting to a difficult situation, we’re not sorry, let’s face it.” Arteta he insisted “We are a team that also knows how good we are and how difficult we can be for opponents. And having that ruthless mentality is something I love.
“I love to see how individuals and teams react to it. Is it a look (down)? I hate it. I haven’t seen it in the squad, I haven’t seen it up there, I haven’t seen anybody speak- no.
“Follow us, follow us. Show your teeth. Show how much you want it. That means opportunities for other people, opportunities for us as a team to rebel against certain situations. We need more of the public, even Sunday. Let’s continue.”
