21 December 2023 , 23:44
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Mikel Arteta's Arsenal could have as many as three key first-team players return for when Liverpool visit in the FA Cup next month.
The Gunners actually make the trip to Anfield on Saturday in a Premier League contest that will determine who ends the week top of the table. Both Arsenal and Liverpool are key players in the race for the title and will face each other three times before the end of January, with the FA Cup third round contest wedged between the two league meetings.
There is a chance that Arsenal could have Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny all fit and firing by the time Jurgen Klopp's men roll into north London for the cup clash, according to the Evening Standard. The Gunners have hardly had the rub of the green when it comes to fitness concerns so far this term.
Partey is a vital part of Arsenal's midfield but been sidelined since October after sustaining a thigh injury. Elneny has been nursing a hamstring strain since last week's 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.
Both of the aforementioned duo are aiming to play some part in the third round contest against Liverpool, but will then be unavailable for Arsenal immediately after. That is due to the Africa Cup of Nations, where Partey is aiming to go the distance with Ghana and Elneny the same with Egypt.
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Tomiyasu was enjoying his best run of form for quite some time, before picking up a calf injury that sidelined him yet again. The Japan international has struggled to maintain regular fitness since joining from Bologna in the summer of 2021.
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Thomas Partey is trying to return to fitness in time for Arsenal's FA Cup clash with Liverpool in January (Getty Images)The first clash at Anfield on Saturday will come too soon for all three, which leaves the Gunners short in vital areas. Arteta would have undeniably preferred to have the option of starting Partey as part of a midfield pairing with £105million man Declan Rice.
With so much on the line and just one point currently separating the two going into the game, both Arteta and Klopp will almost certainly go full strength.
Whether the same can be said for the FA Cup tie in just over a fortnight remains to be seen. With Arsenal and Liverpool both fighting on multiple fronts, especially the Reds, who have a Carabao Cup semi-final on the horizon, both bosses could view the game at the Emirates a chance to rotate.