Arsenal injuries GW9: Rice, Madueke, Calafiori and Dowman before Liverpool
Updated 28 October 2026. Arsenal's dramatic Carabao Cup exit has created an immediate Fantasy Premier League selection problem. They drew 1–1 at Fleetwood Town on Tuesday 27 October and lost 5–3 on penalties. Viktor Gyökeres equalised after Aaron Loupalo-Bi's opener; Max Dowman was sent off late on. More importantly for FPL, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori missed the match with fitness concerns rather than simply being rested.
The short answer: Dowman is suspended for the Liverpool league match; Rice, Madueke and Calafiori require further assessment. Do not convert an FPL 75% flag into a claim that someone is certain to start. Arsenal visit Liverpool on Sunday 1 November, after the Saturday 31 October, 11:00 GMT FPL deadline.
Arsenal availability: what is actually confirmed?
| Player | Evidence as of 28 Oct | GW9 decision |
|---|---|---|
| Declan Rice | Arteta said a problem against Everton caused his substitution; absent at Fleetwood | Wait for final training/press conference; do not assume he is out |
| Noni Madueke | Arteta reported an ankle problem; absent at Fleetwood | Significant start doubt until club confirms recovery |
| Riccardo Calafiori | Arteta previously described a minor issue; absent at Fleetwood | Hold if bench is reliable, but plan for a possible absence |
| Max Dowman | Sent off for violent conduct against Fleetwood | Official disciplinary list shows GW9–GW11 suspension |
| Bukayo Saka | Existing injury absence; no new clearance from Tuesday's match | Do not insert into a GW9 team without a new medical update |
| William Saliba | Remains on the injury list | Assess replacements separately from full-backs |
The independent reports quoting Arteta agree on the three new fitness worries, but none establishes a definitive recovery date. Their appearance in a Friday training photograph would still be less decisive than an explicit selection update.
Latest FPL news
What the cup result means for FPL
Cup elimination itself does not earn or remove Premier League Fantasy points. The actionable effects are reduced squad availability and a better look at Arsenal's alternative attacking shape. Gyökeres scored but a cup goal alone does not make him the best GW9 transfer. Liverpool away is also a difficult fixture to target for a one-week attacker punt.
For defenders, consider three independent questions: can the player start, how likely is a clean sheet at Anfield, and could the player earn attacking or defensive-contribution points if the clean sheet fails? A high-owned Arsenal defender may be worth keeping for subsequent fixtures, even if you bench him this week. Selling and buying back later has a transfer cost.
What should managers do?
Calafiori owners: If you have two or more fit defenders and the defender has good fixtures after Liverpool, waiting is defensible. If your bench contains two confirmed non-starters, a transfer may be needed regardless of this week's opponent.
Rice owners: Avoid moving him solely because he missed a cup tie. The manager confirmed a problem, but did not rule him out of Liverpool. Wait for the Friday assessment if you can.
Madueke owners: The combination of an ankle concern and Arsenal's other wide-player absences makes a predicted role especially uncertain. Do not treat a speculative XI on social media as official.
Dowman owners: His case is different: a confirmed red-card suspension is a planning fact, not a probability. The Premier League's tracker lists him as unavailable for GW9–GW11; check the latest disciplinary update if any appeal is announced.
Should this change your Free Hit or Wildcard?
Multiple doubts in one squad can make GW9 Free Hit more attractive, but the chip only supplies replacements for one Gameweek. If injured players will be unavailable over several weeks, evaluate a permanent transfer or Wildcard. Compare your available starting XI to a one-week alternative in OneFPL Transfer Planner, then reassess after the other cup ties and press conferences.
For the match itself, see our Liverpool vs Arsenal GW9 FPL preview. For the wider injury picture, follow the GW9 team-news tracker.
What we are waiting to verify
Friday's press conferences should clarify the three knocks and whether a new winger or defender is likely to start. No final starting XI has been announced. This page reports the position at the time shown above and should be checked again before the deadline.