Arsenal are nursing a growing injury list heading into Sunday's Premier League encounter with Liverpool, following a chastening Carabao Cup fourth-round exit at the hands of League Two outfit Fleetwood Town on Tuesday.

The Gunners required a Viktor Gyokeres equaliser to force the tie to a penalty shootout, only to fall 5-3 on spot kicks — with Bruno Guimaraes among those to miss — and crash out of the competition in embarrassing circumstances at Highbury Stadium.

Saka, Rice, and Madueke among the concerns

Bukayo Saka was already absent before the Fleetwood defeat, and manager Mikel Arteta now faces a selection headache in wide areas ahead of one of the season's most anticipated fixtures.

Declan Rice played in Arsenal's 3-0 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday and was present at training on Monday, but Arteta confirmed he picked up a minor issue that ruled him out of the Fleetwood trip. According to The Standard, Rice is expected to be fit to face Liverpool, with a fuller update anticipated at Arteta's pre-match press conference.

Noni Madueke, who did not train on Monday, suffered an ankle knock during the Everton match that kept him away from the Carabao Cup tie. With Arsenal already stretched in wide positions, supporters will be eager for a positive update on Madueke before the Liverpool game.

Calafiori's fitness also monitored

Left-back Riccardo Calafiori also missed the Fleetwood fixture after coming off the bench against Everton showing signs of discomfort. He had featured in the Champions League earlier in the week but was not named in the starting eleven against the Toffees. Arteta described any injury as slight, and the club will hope the Italian is available for Sunday.

Dowman's red card adds to Arteta's headache

Teenager Max Dowman compounded Arsenal's woes by receiving a red card after retaliating to a reckless challenge, drawing a visible rebuke from Arteta as he made his way down the tunnel. The suspension rules Dowman out of the Liverpool match, further thinning the Gunners' options on the flanks.

Christos Tzolis is also potentially sidelined, meaning Arsenal could be severely depleted in wide areas when they host Liverpool — the second fixture of what promises to be a compelling top-four weekend, preceded by Saturday's meeting between Brighton and league leaders Manchester City.