Bukayo Saka: Arsenal forward has returned to training ahead of Liverpool test, says Gunners boss Mikel Arteta

Bukayo Saka has returned to training for Arsenal ahead of their showdown with Premier League leaders Liverpool, live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insisted the 23-year-old still has to prove his fitness as he recovers from an injury picked up on international duty but his comments raise hopes of a return.

The Gunners will be without the suspended William Saliba for the visit of Liverpool, while Martin Odegaard is injured, but Arteta refused to rule out Riccardo Calafiori or Jurrien Timber.

"He has done a bit of training on the grass," Arteta said of Saka at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"How far we can get him to Sunday, that's a different question. We have another day, which is a good thing."

Defender Calafiori added to Arsenal's availability issues when he had to be substituted after jarring his knee during Tuesday's Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

"He needs some more tests," said Arteta. "He had some yesterday, today he's going to have some more and from there we will know.

 

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"Last time, we thought it was really bad and he ended up playing two or three days after, so let's see.

"We are going to do our very best to somehow have them available, but it's very, very uncertain."

On Timber, who has not featured since before the international break, Arteta added: "He has had the first session he could have some involvement with.

 

 

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"He has been out for a while. We expected him to be further back than where he is at the moment, but again we have to wait and see."

In addition to captain Odegaard, Arsenal are also without Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney due to injuries, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is yet to feature since recovering from a calf problem.