Arsenal breaks with tradition before Liverpool game as Mikel Arteta desperate to avoid team leaks

Mikel Arteta decided that , so that outsiders could not see which players were involved in the session.

The build-up to the blockbuster fixture has been shrouded in injury mystery, with Bukayo Saka's availability still not clear ahead of kick-off. Jurrien Timber has also been nursing an injury, so Arteta decided that the Gunners' final training session before the game against would take place under the lights at the Emirates.

The only previous time that trained at its home stadium on the eve of a match was prior to a meeting with Aston Villa towards the end of last season, which the Gunners went on to lose 2-0.

It is not clear just how successful Arteta's plan was, particularly considering Saka and Timber were both pictured arriving at the Arsenal team hotel on Saturday night.

Saka has not played since coming off injured during England's loss to Greece earlier this month, while Timber's last appearance came in 's Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain, but their presence at the team hotel suggests they could return against Liverpool.

Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of the pair: “We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain. Timber, again, it’s the first [training] session [on Friday] that he could have some involvement. He’s been out for a while, we expected him to be further back than where he is at the moment but, again, we have to wait and see.

"He [Saka] has done a bit of training on the grass. How far we can get him to Sunday, that’s a different question. We have another day, which is a good thing, but we’ll see.”

It is not clear how much of a part either player will be able to play in the blockbuster fixture, but their presence will certainly buoy Arsenal fans ahead of the game.