Liverpool and Arsenal have confirmed their starting lineups for Sunday’s Premier League clash at Anfield, and there is no place for Declan Rice in the Gunners’ squad.
The visitors have confirmed that the England international is sidelined due to injury, meaning that Mikel Merino will drop back into midfield alongside Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard.
At this stage, the nature and severity of Rice’s injury is unclear, but Mikel Arteta will be expected to give an update on the former West Ham United captain ahead of kickoff.
Rice’s absence and Merino moving back into the engine room means that Leandro Trossard has returned to the starting XI up front, while the only other change to the Arsenal team sees Ben White replace Jurrien Timber at right-back.
However, there is also no place on the bench for Jorginho, who was an unused substitute in Wednesday’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain after recovering from a punctured lung.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes six changes from Chelsea defeat
Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has made six changes to the starting lineup that lost 3-1 to Chelsea last week, and as promised, the Dutchman has benched the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold in favour of Conor Bradley.
Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson also return to the backline, replacing Jarell Quansah and Kostas Tsimikas respectively, while Virgil van Dijk will make his 300th Premier League appearance.
Curtis Jones reprises his role in midfield over Alexis Mac Allister, but Ryan Gravenberch returns over Wataru Endo, while Harvey Elliott has made way for Dominik Szoboszlai as expected.
Further forward, Diogo Jota drops down to the bench as Luis Diaz occupies the centre-forward’s spot, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah providing support from out wide again.
Salah needs just one more goal or assist to equal the record for the most Premier League goal contributions in a single season, currently sitting on 46 with 28 goals and 18 appearances under his belt.
Liverpool starting lineup: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz
Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Mac Allister, Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas, Elliott, Quansah, Jota
Arsenal starting lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Merino; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Timber, Zinchenko, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Sterling
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