# Saka out until after the break, Rice and Calafiori back in training, and Iraola says Szoboszlai 'has a chance' *The team news from both camps before Liverpool v Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday at 17:30 CET: Arsenal get three players back but not Saka; Liverpool wait on Szoboszlai and Muñoz.* News · Published 07:16 CET, 31 Oct 2026 · Match News (https://matchnews.news/news/saka-out-rice-and-calafiori-back-in-training-szoboszlai-has-a-chance/) By News desk · Reviewed by Fredrik Jurek Arsenal travel to Liverpool on Sunday 1 November for a 17:30 CET kick-off at Anfield with three players back in training and their best winger still missing. Liverpool, meanwhile, are waiting on two of their own. Here is what both clubs said on Friday, and what the Premier League's own injury notes add. ## Arsenal: Saka out, three back Bukayo Saka will not play. The Arsenal winger could be out until after November's international break with a quad injury, ESPN's James Olley reported on Friday after Mikel Arteta's press conference. A quad injury is a problem with the large muscle at the front of the thigh, and the Premier League's availability notes, which the league publishes for every club and which are carried in the data feed used across this site, list Saka with a thigh injury and no return date since 21 October. The international break runs from 9 to 17 November, so the earliest realistic return would be Arsenal's game on the weekend of 21 November. The better news for Arsenal is that Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis have all returned to training, according to the same ESPN report. The league's notes had given Rice and Calafiori a 75% chance of playing before Friday's session, Rice with an unspecified problem and Calafiori with a hip injury, and had Tzolis down as expected back on 1 November after a hamstring injury. Noni Madueke is a doubt with an ankle problem, ESPN reported; the league's notes put him at 75%. Two longer absences remain. William Saliba has been out with a back injury since the summer with no return date, according to the league's notes. Max Dowman, 16, is suspended until 29 November after his red card in the cup at Fleetwood; the FA turned down Arsenal's appeal on Thursday, and we covered that in full on Friday. ## Liverpool: Iraola waits on two Andoni Iraola, who left Bournemouth to become Liverpool's head coach, gave his press conference at the club's training ground on Friday, and the club published every word. Asked about Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Muñoz, he said: "I think they have a chance. They have a chance." He added that he did not yet know "for sure if they will be involved or not." Szoboszlai has been out with a hamstring injury since 17 October, according to the league's notes, which give no return date. Muñoz is listed with a knee injury and a 25% chance of playing. The notes also list Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Hugo Ekitiké (Achilles), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) as out with no return date, which leaves Liverpool short at full-back in particular. Iraola was asked about the title race and did not take the bait. "It's too early to start looking at the standings," he said. "It's still October." He called Arsenal "the actual champions" and pointed out they have "only lost one game this season." He said the game would be decided by winning duels, running more and controlling set pieces, and that his friend Arteta would give Liverpool "a very difficult game." ## What the table says Manchester City and Arsenal both have 21 points from eight games, City first on goal difference, which is goals scored minus goals conceded. Brighton are third on 16. Liverpool are fourth on 15, with four wins, three draws and one defeat, according to the licensed table used across this site. A Liverpool win would take them to within three points of Arsenal. An Arsenal win would put them nine clear of Liverpool before November has properly started, and, depending on City's result at home to Brighton on Saturday, could leave them top on their own. ## When the teams are confirmed Premier League clubs publish their line-ups 75 minutes before kick-off, so the official teams are due at 16:15 CET on Sunday. Until then, the names above are the ones to watch for: Saka's absence is certain, Rice and Calafiori are back in training, and Szoboszlai and Muñoz are the two Liverpool decisions that could change the shape of the game. ## Sources 1. Andoni Iraola press conference: every word on Liverpool v Arsenal, injuries and analysis (Liverpool FC) https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/andoni-iraola-press-conference-every-word-liverpool-arsenal-injuries-analysis - Read 07:48 CET, 31 Oct 2026 2. Mikel Arteta warning to Max Dowman after red card: 'We are not in Disneyland' (ESPN) https://espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/50328026/mikel-arteta-max-dowman-arsenal-red-card-liverpool-fleetwood - Read 07:52 CET, 31 Oct 2026 --- 18+. Gambling involves risk and can be addictive. Please gamble responsibly. Odds links go to BettingBeast. Match News is a football news site published by Checkraise Ltd. Every odds link on this site goes to BettingBeast. Articles are written with the help of an AI system and checked against the sources they cite; the responsible editor is named on every article.