Arsenal face Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday at Emirates Stadium and have been handed a boost ahead of the game.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has suffered a hamstring injury and will be unavailable for selection against the Gunners.
The Hungarian international has been in fine form for the Reds since joining them in the summer, weighing in with four goals and two assists, and being without him for such an important game is a huge blow for Liverpool.
However, it is good news for Arsenal given how important he has been for the Reds.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is expected to name a strong line-up for the game as he will be eager to win the competition.
Liverpool could also field most of their stars, but Szoboszlai will be missing, which would give Klopp a selection headache.
Arsenal were dumped out of the Carabao Cup after Arteta gave some of the fringe players a chance against West Ham United, and the Spaniard is unlikely to repeat the mistake on Sunday.
The North Londoners are expected to head to Dubai for warm-weather training afterwards for the two-week break, and they can afford to play their best players against Liverpool.
They will be desperate to clinch a win over the Reds having won just one of their last six games across all competitions.
Arsenal resume Premier League action on January 20 when Crystal Palace visit Emirates Stadium, and they need to get back to winning ways and get their title ambitions back on track.
They also have injury concerns of their own and will hope to receive much-needed injury boosts over the next fortnight.
