Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has refused to rule Oleksandr Zinchenko out of Sunday's FA Cup third-round clash with Liverpool at the Emirates.
The Ukraine international was forced to miss last weekend's 2-1 Premier League defeat to Fulham due to a calf injury, which he underwent a scan on earlier this week.
Arsenal have not disclosed the severity of Zinchenko's problem, but he appears to he avoided a serious issue, as Arteta confirmed at his pre-game press conference that he may be in with a chance of taking on the Reds.
"He is progressing well. We have another training session tomorrow and we will evaluate whether he is available or not to play and start the game. As for the rest, there is no actual news," Arteta told reporters.
While Zinchenko might win his battle to be fit for the contest, Arsenal remain without Jurrien Timber, Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey, the latter of whom was not called up to the Ghana squad for the Africa Cup of Nations due to his thigh injury.
© Reuters
Arsenal were hitherto hopeful that Partey would have been fit to make his comeback in Sunday's game, but his injury has proven more serious than first feared, and Arteta conceded that the 30-year-old is still some weeks away from returning to team training.
Speaking about Partey's omission from Ghana's AFCON squad, Arteta added: "It was about common sense. He has a long-term injury and he really wanted to push his rehab.
"He really wanted to be with the national team but he is still far from training with the team and it didn't make a lot of sense for him to be involved. Hopefully it's weeks. How many weeks it will be will depend a little bit on how long the next step of training with the team will take him, but he's progressing well."
Meanwhile, there have been suggestions that Timber could potentially return from his long-term layoff in March, having already spent nearly five months on the sidelines with the ACL injury he suffered on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
However, Arteta conceded that the Dutchman is still "far" away from being back with the team at London Colney, further limiting his full-back options while Takehiro Tomiyasu represents Japan at the Asian Cup.
© Reuters
"Unfortunately, that's a very long-term injury. He is doing really well but he is still far from being fit to train with the team, or something to compete with the team so we don't expect him back anytime soon," Arteta said. "It's what we have; the situation that we have now as well with Tomi having to leave and we have to cope with that."
Tomiyasu returned from a calf injury in time to come on as a substitute against Fulham on New Year's Eve, but should Zinchenko miss Sunday's game too, Arteta would be without a recognised left-back and would likely deploy Jakub Kiwior in that role once again.
The Gunners are rumoured to be targeting a new left-back in the January transfer window, although Arteta was typically coy when asked about potential targets, adding: "We are open in the transfer market but again the emphasis is on making the most out of the players that we have.
"We will work together with the club to understand whether there are any possibilities and if we have any good options, but first of all focus on the players that we have."
Arsenal welcome Liverpool to North London having won each of their last three FA Cup clashes with the Merseyside giants, although they were held to a 1-1 Premier League draw at Anfield on December 23.
Ben Knapton
