Arsenal face quarantine quandary ahead of Community Shield

Posted Friday, August 28, 2020 by PA

Arsenal are likely to be missing a number of quarantining players when they face Premier League champions Liverpool in the Community Shield on Saturday.

The FA Cup winners are expected to be without goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, winger Nicolas Pepe and French pair Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi following their holidays, while more could also be absent due to quarantine rules introduced to tackle the spread of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Pablo Mari (ankle), Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers (both knee) are injured, with a number of youth-team prospects likely to make up the squad numbers.

Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk is fit despite suffering a head wound in a pre-season friendly against Salzburg on Tuesday.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is close to fitness after a minor injury, but manager Jurgen Klopp is yet to decide if the right-back will be involved.

Captain Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Matip, Xherdan Shaqiri, Divock Origi and Harry Wilson are not yet ready to feature.

Arsenal provisional squad: Leno, Macey, Luiz, Holding, Sokratis, McGuinness, Saliba, Bola, Tierney, Bellerin, Cedric, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Elneny, Willock, Olayinka, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Saka, Aubameyang, Nketiah, John-Jules, Lewis.

Liverpool provisional squad: Alisson, Adrian, Kelleher, Williams, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Tsimikas, Fabinho, Milner, Grujic, Wijnaldum, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino, Brewster, Phillips, Elliott, Van den Berg, Koumetio.