Liverpool vs Arsenal: Arsene Wenger expects Reds' injury crisis to subside before Anfield clash

Arsene Wenger believes Liverpool's injury crisis will subside before they take on the Gunners at Anfield on Wednesday, 13 January, despite the myriad of changes Jurgen Klopp made to the side which drew 2-2 against League Two outfit Exeter City. The Reds have 13 players out through injury but Wenger expects a lot of them to be back before their game against the Gunners, jesting that it has always been the case when they play a top opponent.

The Gunners are currently top of the league table, two ahead of Leicester City and have a run of three important games which can define their season ahead. The north London club have taken only two points from the corresponding fixtures last season and need to put up a much better performance if they have to come out with a considerable share of the spoils this time around.

Liverpool's perceived crisis had encouraged talks that the Gunners would have it easy against a depleted Jurgen Klopp's side but Wenger insists that it will still be a stern test for which they have to perform at their best to overcome. The reverse fixture between the two sides ended in a drab stalemate at the Emirates, with Aaron Ramsey having a goal wrongly chalked off in the first half but it was Petr Cech's heroics at the other end which kept the Gunners with a fighting chance in the game.

Christian Benteke was the only senior player to start for the Reds against Exeter but Wenger believes that their other players will be back soon enough for the clash to make it difficult for the north London club.

"Don't worry!" joked Wenger, as quoted by the Mirror. "Arsene is a very good doctor! They always heal when they play against us!"

"They had many injures and I think they didn't want more injuries before an important week. The team who played last night is not the team who will play against us."