Every word from Arteta's pre-Liverpool presser

Mikel Arteta faced the press ahead of our trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend.

During his press conference at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, Mikel gave an injury update on the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard, as well as assessing Sunday's opponents.

Find out everything he had to say with our transcript below.

on Saka’s availability:

Bukayo is doing better, but he will be out for a few weeks, unfortunately.

on if surgery is required on his hamstring:

No surgery. It's not as bad as the previous one. Very unfortunate to pick it up because it’s on the other side. It's an action that requires full power from him. Then, he clashes with the opponent, he needs to change pace again, and he felt something. So he will be out for a couple of weeks.

on if he’ll be available after the international break:

I don't know. Let's see how he evolves in the next few days and weeks. Repeat the scan and see where he's at.

on Odegaard’s availability:

We don't know yet. He hasn't trained yet, and if he does, it will be tomorrow. He's doing everything he can, we're doing everything that we can to make him available, but we'll have to wait and see tomorrow.

on if it’s serious:

No, there's an injury there, but hopefully, if everything goes well, he can cope with it. But we don't know yet.

on how long it will take Havertz to recover from surgery:

I think it will be weeks, but I don't know how many months. Very unfortunate, very sad for him. He did tremendously well to recover from the previous one; he’d never had an injury before, and suddenly this happens. But this is our profession, our football, we need to live with that. We lost another big player for many, many weeks, but it [surgery] was the right thing to do. The doctors advised and I think he was very convinced at the end that it was the quickest and the best way to resolve that issue.

on if it could be months:

Every time there is a surgery, you expect something like this. I'll leave that to the medical staff or himself to explain in detail what it was. The most important thing is when he gets back, he's in good condition and, medium and long term, we protect the player.

on losing three big players to injury:

It's the start of the season and we lost three of our main players, but that's the reality. A very unfortunate situation, three very different situations. But that's why we keep insisting, like everybody else, you need a big squad to be able to cope and sustain the level.

on White and Norgaard:

That's another two that we don't know yet. Again, tomorrow we have another day, let's see how they evolve, and there’s a chance to keep them involved in the game.

on Eze’s first week with us:

Really impressed with him. I heard a lot of things about him, I spoke to a lot of people about him. Really bright, very special energy, a special aura around him and he's really willing. He's already gathered a lot of information on the things that we want to see on the pitch. But especially, making sure that he has the freedom and the capacity to express his quality, which is the reason why we brought him here.

on if he’ll go straight into the team:

We have options in that position and that's a good thing that we have this year. Let's see, as I said, another day and I'm not going to give you any clues, obviously.

on how he adds to our ability to be unpredictable:

We have a lot of players now that can play in different positions and they can fill gaps when we have them. Looking at the start of the season that we have already had with injuries, that's going to be very necessary. So I'm very happy to have the ability to do that.

on rumours surrounding Hincapie:

You know the answer to that. I cannot talk about players that are not part of our squad.

on if we would prefer to play Liverpool later in the season:

It is what it is, we have to play them. They are the champions, they are champions for a reason, because they deserve to be champions. They were the better team last year, the most consistent one, the one that found ways to win in many different ways and we want to be that team this year. We need to go to Anfield with that spirit and that conviction.

on what Eze will add to the squad:

I think when you are next to him, you are comfortable. He's got a big smile. He picks teams apart. He asks you the right questions and then just let him flow with the ball and the ability he has to pick passes, to drive past people effortlessly and just to understand the timing of things. It's very impressive.

on if it’s a season-defining game against Liverpool:

A very important one and we want to continue building the momentum that we are in right now. Going to those grounds, those stadiums, against this kind of opposition is what we want and coming away from those big games, winning in a really convincing way. That's the objective.

on what needs to change for us to win at Anfield this time around:

Be better than we've been in those games, more efficient and do what we've done with many other stats that we had, for even longer. Just go there and be convinced that we can go to Anfield and win.

on if he’s noticed differences in how Liverpool play this season:

I think the individual characteristics at the end are what changed, how they use the ball as a team, and it's clear that a certain player receiving the ball in certain areas with different qualities, the outcome is going to be different. They've had a lot of signings, really good signings. They keep evolving the squad like we've done as well. So, a big match ahead.

on if we targeted players like Gyokeres and Eze who could be good for transitions:

We have to add players who add value to things that can define football matches and with those two, they have the ability at the end to make the final action in many ways. To finish with the ball in the back of the net, which is the outcome that we want in every action that we have in our attacking phase. And those two, they're going to add these individual actions, magic moments, and that's what we need to win games.

on if there’s more we can do to prevent injuries:

No, first of all, we have to analyse what we do, that's for sure. In the previous season, we had the best record in the Premier League. The following season, we had one of the worst. Because of the extent, not the amount, but the extent of the injuries of certain players, especially Tomiyasu, Gabi Jesus, the long-term injuries we had with the hamstring injuries. We have looked at everything and we are continually monitoring and evolving the needs of the players and the schedule. But unfortunately, we saw very diverse injuries again. Probably some of them were very unexpected.

on if he worries about keeping everyone happy with the depth we have now:

No, I think the word is that I care that everybody is as happy as they possibly can be. That's a big part of my job, our job at the end, to make sure that every player feels that he's fulfilling his potential and he's doing what he loves the most, which is to play football. So far, with the squad that we have, and the five, six, seven injuries that we already have, we haven't had many problems making the squad. But with everybody available, that will be a different scenario. But we're going to have to live with that and that's why that competition is going to raise the level for everybody.

on if Martinelli could leave:

No, I think Gabi has been a super important player for us and he's going to remain very, very, very important. The fact that we have options with different qualities, that's going to fulfil what we want, because every opponent is going to require different things and then the state, the moment, the way that those players are impacting the game - that competition is needed. We have him in many other areas on the pitch and he's needed, especially in the front line, to start the game and to finish the game. So, I'm very happy with what we have.

on if Liverpool are the favourites to win the league:

I think the favourite is always the one that won the previous year and that's it, somebody has to come and take that crown away from them and that's what I suppose the rest of us are going to try to do. We've already started with the first two games in the Premier League and that's the aim, to be better than them.

on if Saka’s hamstring injuries are a concern:

Yes, it is, obviously, a big one. Especially when we talk about a sprinter, a player that gets into that zone very often in a football match, that needs that burst, that change of rhythm, of pace, to be as threatening as possible. We'll learn again why it happened, and make him stronger. Unfortunately, injuries are part of your career. He hasn't had that many, to be fair, with the amount of games that he's played at his age. That is something that we want to eradicate for sure.

on who is in the leadership group since Jorginho left:

There are a few. I think at some point it will come out. There are a few players, a few names. I'm very happy with the outcome and the way it was done as well. I think it's a very good reflection of the group.

on if Eze is a throwback to players like Cazorla and Rosicky:

Yeah, they have a different feel of the ball. Everything glides and moves so smoothly. They are beautiful to watch, the way they carry the ball, the way they take touches, the way they turn. Ebere for sure has got this talent.

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