How Arsenal could line up against Liverpool

The Ghana international is now back in full training after three months on the sidelines with a thigh injury, but he was not considered for selection against Nottingham Forest in midweek.

Before the City Ground success, Mikel Arteta did not rule Partey out of the visit of Liverpool, but even if the 30-year-old is fine to feature in the headline encounter, a place on the bench is surely the best he can hope for.

The same can be said of Mohamed Elneny, who is due to report back to London Colney after Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations exit, but Takehiro Tomiyasu is still away at the Asian Cup, while Fabio Vieira (groin) and Jurrien Timber (ACL) are both sidelined too.

Even without Partey and Elneny, Arteta's biggest selection dilemma coincidentally comes in the middle of the park, as Emile Smith Rowe was given the nod against Nottingham Forest and put in a respectable performance during his 71 minutes on the field.

Another starting role for Smith Rowe would not raise many eyebrows, but with Kai Havertz better equipped to go toe-to-toe in the air with Virgil van Dijk, the German could be reinstated to the first XI alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

Havertz's inclusion in a midfield position would see Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli form an unaltered attacking trident, assuming that the former is able to play through the pain of his ongoing knee concern.

Arsenal's offensive triumvirate and defensive quartet should both remain untouched, as Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko - who came to blows at the end of Tuesday's win - settle their differences to join William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya at the back.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli