Mikel Arteta‘s side currently sits third, four points behind Liverpool and five adrift of City, having already played out tense draws with both teams.
The Gunners travel to St. James’ Park on Saturday for an early 12:30 pm kick-off against Newcastle, aiming to maintain momentum in the title race. Meanwhile, Manchester City head to Bournemouth and Liverpool face Brighton at home later on the same day, with both 3:00 pm kick-offs.
Liverpool are contending with the loss of Diogo Jota, who will be unavailable until after the international break due to a rib injury sustained in the win over Chelsea on 20 October.
The news was confirmed by manager Arne Slot on Tuesday ahead of their fourth-round League Cup tie at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Jota, who has scored four goals in 10 appearances this season, is a key figure in Liverpool’s attack, and his absence will be keenly felt as they attempt to keep pace at the top.
Slot also hinted that Federico Chiesa could be set for an extended layoff as well, further complicating matters for the Merseyside club. Chiesa, the club’s marquee signing from Juventus over the summer, has managed only three appearances since joining and has not featured for over a month due to persistent fitness issues.
Slot’s injury list also includes Alisson and Harvey Elliott, both of whom are unavailable for the League Cup tie against Brighton.
For Manchester City, manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that Kevin De Bruyne‘s thigh injury is proving to be a more severe issue than initially expected.
The Belgian midfielder has not played since limping off against Inter Milan on 18 September.
Guardiola had hoped for De Bruyne’s return by now, but the City talisman remains unable to compete at full intensity. “He feels he can train, but not to go to that level that we need in competition,” said Guardiola. “When you kick the ball or something, he still has pain and he doesn’t feel [right]. Kevin’s feeling better, but not the best.”
De Bruyne is set to miss tonight’s Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Tottenham, along with several other players.
You can find full and comprehensive details of Arsenal’s injury situation here.
