Arsenal handed major boost as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber spotted arriving at team hotel ahead of showdown with Liverpool

Arsenal have been handed a major boost after Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were spotted arriving at the team hotel ahead of the showdown with Liverpool. 

Saka has missed the Gunners’ last two matches with a hamstring injury he sustained on international duty with England.

Meanwhile, Timber has not featured since before the international break due to a muscular problem. 

Arteta confirmed both players returned to training on Friday ahead of the clash with Arne Slot‘s side but their involvement in Sunday’s clash remains a doubt. 

Both players looks set to be named in the match day squad after they were seen arriving with the team on Saturday night. 

Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were spotted arriving at the team hotel ahead of the showdown with Liverpool.

It will come as a major boost to Arteta’s side who have endured injury issues, with Riccardo Calafiori also a doubt for the match. 

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta said: ‘He’s (Saka) done a bit of training on the grass. How far we can get him before Sunday is another question. We have another day which is a good thing, because this week we had an extra day. We will see.’  

‘He has had the first session he could have some involvement with,’ Arteta said on Timber’s possible return. 

‘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, the Gunners are also without Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney due to injuries, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is yet to feature since recovering from a calf problem.

On battling uncertainty over injuries, the Arsenal boss added: ‘Normally I prefer to go to bed with the line up in my head so I can sleep like a baby!

Mikel Arteta confirmed both player returned to training during his press conference on Friday

‘But sometimes it cannot be as you have to wait for the next day. Sometimes two days before. Or just three days before you already have the idea, ‘Against this team this is what I am going to do’ but when you have uncertainty with injuries that is tricky.’

A win against Liverpool will see Arsenal close the gap on the Reds to three points while defeat will ensure the Gunners go seven point adrift of top spot.