Arsenal handed surprise boost! Martin Odegaard & Leandro Trossard travel for Liverpool game despite Mikel Arteta's injury worries

Odegaard and Leandro Trossard were among the number of expected absentees, but were then seen with the rest of the squad as the Gunners boarded a coach at the team hotel in Liverpool around five hours before kick-off. Whether either is fit to enough to play remains to be seen, but it at least means there is a chance.

Odegaard's shoulder injury suffered against Leeds United last weekend was not thought to be serious, while Trossard was also only a minor doubt. Arsenal are still without Bukayo Saka, sidelined for the next few weeks, Kai Havertz, out after knee surgery, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White and Christian Norgaard. Although Trossard is with the group and Gabriel Martinelli is also available, Mikel Arteta teased pre-match the possibility of playing an all new front three of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

"I fully trust them," Mikel Arteta had said on Friday. "We haven't got Gabriel Jesus, we haven't got Kai Havertz and we don't have Bukayo. It's also our reality that we are going to have to find something and probably something we haven't done before but it can work really well, as well."

Arsenal's unproven attack could get joy against Liverpool. Gyokeres got off the mark in the Premier League with a brace last weekend, and Eze is already proven in the competition as he prepares for a Gunners debut. The hosting champions can score at will but are defensively vulnerable, conceding four goals already in just two games and having to rally late to win each time.