David Luiz ruled out of Arsenal's clash with Liverpool

Arsenal defender David Luiz has been ruled out of Saturday's Premier League clash with Liverpool.

The two sides meet at the Emirates Stadium with both looking to close the gap on those currently occupying the European places.

The Brazilian is suffering from some discomfort in his right knee and will undergo further assessments - that's according to the club's update released late on Friday afternoon.

The former Chelsea star has played 90 minutes in nine of Arsenal's last 12 Premier League fixtures and based on that it is fair to assume, if available, the 33-year-old stood a great chance of starting versus the champions.

His Gunners contract is due to expire at the end of the season but Luiz has shown, particularly in recent months, he has plenty to offer despite being in the twilight of his career.

There were also updates provided regarding the availability of Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe who are all doubts ahead of this one.

A win for the Gunners would see them close the gap on their opponents to just a solitary point. However, if Arteta is to pull off his fourth victory over his Liverpool counterpart in five meetings he may need to do it without some key players.

Liverpool are also without some key players. Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez all remain sidelined with long-term injuries.

Both sides have important European ties to come in the week and whether or not that will influence both managers' team selections remains to be seen. Arsenal take on Slavia Prague in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final and Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.