MatchArsenal v Liverpool: Team news

Ekitike, the Reds' top scorer this season with 11 goals in all competitions, missed the 2-2 draw at Fulham last weekend due to a hamstring complaint and delayed onset muscle soreness.

Asked for an update on the Frenchman, head coach Arne Slot said on Wednesday morning: "He has not trained with us until now and let's see if he can today.

"I've said, I think, two or three days ago when we played Fulham that he is not going to be out for long, but because games come so fast he is in between maybe training with the team or it would take him one or two days extra."

Arsenal attacker Havertz, who underwent surgery on a knee issue in August, has trained in the build-up to the 8pm GMT kick-off at Emirates Stadium.

He returned to the Gunners' matchday squad for their win over Aston Villa on December 30 but was then absent for the following game against AFC Bournemouth.

"We are monitoring his load," boss Mikel Arteta told his pre-match press conference. "He's been out for a long time, for two different reasons. He's very close.

"He trained this morning again and hopefully we are going to have him available and the best version of Kai very soon."

Elsewhere for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah's participation at the Africa Cup of Nations continues after he helped Egypt progress to the quarter-finals earlier this week.

Wataru Endo has been out injured since the draw at Leeds United on December 6, while Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni are long-term absentees.

The hosts will continue to be without defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori.

Arteta said of the pair: "They are out again. I think pretty soon [they will return]. They have to go through the last stage of the rehab and, if everything goes well, hopefully very soon they will be available for selection."

Table-topping Arsenal have only been beaten twice in the league so far this season, although the first of those defeats did come in the reverse fixture at Anfield in late August.

Looking ahead to this latest meeting, Slot said: "Another challenge for us, with of course players being out but still enough very good players available to go to Arsenal and make it a proper fight."

Arteta offered: "We are top of the table, we play at home against a really, really good opponent and we want to maintain our position. In order to do that, we're going to have to be excellent throughout the game to deserve to win the game – that's the point we have to prove."

Last match

AFC Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal (January 3): Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres.

Fulham 2-2 Liverpool (January 4): Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo.