Has the international break effected Arteta's team for Liverpool?


Mikel Arteta

Has the international break effected who Mikel Arteta will pick for Arsenal's Premier League trip to Liverpool on Saturday?

By Adam Le Roux

As ever, clubs will start welcoming their star players back from the international break and try to assess the damage, with plenty of bumps and bruises picked up from clashes all over the world in the past week.

Arsenal are no exception to that, with Mikel Arteta welcoming back his prized assets ahead of Saturday’s clash with reigning Premier League champions Liverpool at the Emirates.

But not everyone seems to have escaped from their globe-trotting antics unscathed, so just how much will the Spaniard be forced to shuffle his pack ahead of the meeting with the Reds?

Could Saka and Smith Rowe be a no show?

The international break was a momentous one for Emile Smith Rowe, with the Arsenal academy graduate making his first start for England under-21s at the FIFA U21 EURO 2021 in Slovenia.

But that experience was made bitter-sweet in a number of ways - firstly Aidy Boothroyd’s side lost to both Switzerland and Portugal in their first two group matches, while the Arsenal star appears to have suffered a knock, with the national team boss unlikely to include him for their final group clash with Croatia on Wednesday evening.

"We have got a couple of players that we are waiting to hear from off the back of a few scans. We are giving people the longest possible time so I have a good group to choose from,” Boothroyd said.

“As for Emile, he will be very doubtful I would say.”

With the tussle against Jurgen Klopp’s side just three days away, it seems that Smith Rowe will more than likely be missing for the Gunners, who will miss his energy and boundless enthusiasm in the final third of the pitch to exploit the Reds’ backline.

Emile Smith Rowe

There could also be more angst for Arteta as he names his starting line-up for Saturday, with Bukayo Saka also nursing a hamstring injury which saw him unavailable for the England senior squad.

The teenager withdrew from the international setup and remained with Arsenal in a bid to recover in time for the Liverpool match, although his return to action is still questionable as it stands.

And with the two youngsters fighting to be fit, Arteta could be left with some big decisions to be made this weekend, with two of his regular starters possibly being unavailable.

Will it be Aubameyang and Willian out wide?

If Smith Rowe and Saka are out of contention, then the Spaniard may be tempted to go with a front three of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Willian and Alexandre Lacazette just as he did in the return fixture at Anfield earlier in the season.

The Gunners came flying out of the blocks in that affair, with the latter of the three grabbing the first goal of the game on the half hour mark, as Arsenal cut open their opponents at regular points in the opening stages.

Alexandre Lacazette

Lacazette was made to pay for missing another golden opportunity as the hosts fought back to win 3-1 back in September, but it is proof that that triumvirate can work well at the business end of the field.

Martin Odegaard will more than likely fill in behind those three, with the Norwegian leaving Arsenal fans biting their fingernails last week, as he was removed at half time in his country’s 3-0 victory over Gibraltar.

It turns out that was nothing more than a precaution for the Real Madrid loanee, who went on to play the whole 90 minutes against Turkey days later, as well as 80 minutes in the 1-0 win over Montenegro on Tuesday.

Could Arteta ring the changes?

After an already hectic fixture schedule, it would be no surprise to see the boss mix it up as his side returns in their dribs and drabs from all manner of far flung places around the globe.

Lacazette will be a shoe-in to start after having the fortnight off, the same goes for Willian - although the Brazilian was said to be carrying a calf injury.

But with the Spaniard not trying to hide the fact that the Europa League is the club’s top priority this season, all eyes will more than likely be on next Thursday’s clash with Slavia Prague, rather than a dead rubber against the Reds.

Therefore, no player is likely to be risked for a run out this weekend ahead of the continental quarter-final, and quite rightly too, as the trials and tribulations of this frantic season continue.

Photo Credit: Getty Images


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