Standard Sport’s Matt Verri at Anfield

Anfield is one of the few grounds that Arteta and his players have left to conquer.

Not since 2012 have they won here in the Premier League.

They have become far more competitive in these matches in recent seasons, having had several years of losing heavily to Jurgen Klopp sides, but taking that next step and all three points is what Arteta will be desperate to do.

Arsenal still do not know how much time Bukayo Saka is set to miss through injury, though reports have said that it could be up to eight weeks.

Saka limped out of the heavyweight Champions League draw with Bayern Munich last month due to a quad injury and the amount of fluid in the area means that follow-up scans to determine the exact severity of the problem were delayed.

“He needed another scan to see how the amount of fluid that was there was resolving, whether the tendon is touched and how badly it is touched,” Mikel Arteta said of Saka on Friday.

“Afterwards, we'll know more about it.”

Asked if he thought Saka would miss England’s Nations League games against Croatia and Spain later this month, Arteta replied: “Again, I don't know.

“It looks like it, but we'll have to wait and see next week.”

The fitness of Noni Madueke will come as a big relief for Mikel Arteta, who was otherwise facing a bit of a selection crisis on the right wing at Anfield with Bukayo Saka sidelined and Max Dowman suspended.

Christos Tzolis coming straight back in on the opposite flank after a month out injured is also hardly a vote of confidence in Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal really need Kai Havertz to step it up this afternoon in attack.

Here’s more from Matt Verri at Anfield...

Standard Sport’s Matt Verri at Anfield

The team news is about as positive as Arsenal could have hoped for this afternoon.

Madueke and Calafiori are both fit to start, and Arteta has taken the gamble of throwing Tzolis straight back into the side after a month out with a hamstring issue.

That’s a big, big call. Havertz gets the nod to lead the line - he has to be miles better than he was in midweek against Fleetwood.

Arsenal show five changes from their 2-0 home win over Everton last weekend, with Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Christos Tzolis all deemed fit to start.

Noni Madueke also starts after his ankle issue.

It’s nine changes from the Fleetwood debacle, with only Timber and Havertz retaining their starting berths.

That is a first Premier League start for Trey Nyoni, by the way. What an occasion for it!

It’s seven changes from the Carabao Cup last-16 win over Chelsea on penalties, with Alisson, Jeremy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola and Alexander Isak all returning as expected.

Out go Giorgi Mamardashvili, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas, Ryan Gravenberch, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell and Rio Ngumoha.

Ronald Araujo moves back out to right-back, while Cody Gakpo goes from up front back to the flank.

Liverpool make only one change from their last Premier League outing - the 2-0 home win over high-flying Brighton last weekend - as Trey Nyoni gets the nod over Ryan Gravenberch in midfield.

The highly-rated teenager keeps his spot after impressing in place of Alexis Mac Allister against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Otherwise there are no surprises from Andoni Iraola, who has Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz both back on the bench after injury.

There’s no Federico Chiesa in the squad at all.

Raya, Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Guimaraes, Odegaard, Madueke, Tzolis, Havertz

Kepa, Mosquera, White, Hincapie, Eze, Gyokeres, Merino, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly

Alisson, Araujo, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Nyoni, Gakpo, Wirtz, Barcola, Isak

Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Szoboszlai, Tsimikas, Munoz, Gravenberch, Koumas, Ngumoha

The calm before the storm at a grey and rainy Anfield, where official lineups will drop very shortly indeed.

Stay tuned...