Arsenal vs Liverpool – Team News and Predicted Lineups
Arsenal vs Liverpool (The Emirates)
Team news
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger faces a defensive shortage when Arsenal start their Premier League season at home to Liverpool on Sunday.
Per Mertesacker (knee) and Gabriel (ankle) are missing while Laurent Koscielny has not played in pre-season after reaching the final of Euro 2016 with France.
Fellow Frenchman Olivier Giroud is also likely to be missing while Danny Welbeck and Carl Jenkinson (both knee) are also sidelined.
Provisional squad: Cech, Ospina, Debuchy, Bellerin, Holding, Chambers, Gibbs, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Xhaka, Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Iwobi, Sanchez, Campbell, Walcott, Akpom.
Liverpool
Daniel Sturridge and James Milner are both doubtful for Liverpool’s first game of the new Premier League season at Arsenal.
Sturridge has a hip problem and is considered further behind in his pre-season fitness regime while boss Jurgen Klopp has said it is “possible” Milner, who was on crutches after last weekend’s friendly win over Barcelona, overcomes a bruised heel.
Dejan Lovren and Marko Grujic have both overcome knocks, but goalkeeper Loris Karius is unable to make his debut yet having broken his right hand recently and Mamadou Sakho (Achilles) will also miss the start of the campaign.
Provisional squad: Mignolet, Manninger, Clyne, Lovren, Gomez, Klavan, Moreno, Matip, Wisdom, Milner, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Coutinho, Grujic, Lallana, Can, Lucas, Stewart, Markovic, Ojo, Sturridge, Mane, Benteke, Firmino, Ings, Balotelli, Origi.
