Arsenal face a race against time to have Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke fit for Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool, after all three missed Tuesday's Carabao Cup exit at Fleetwood Town through injury.

The trio were absent at Highbury Stadium as Arsenal lost 5-3 on penalties to the League Two side after a 1-1 draw. Speaking after the game, Mikel Arteta said: "Calafiori was out, Noni was out with an ankle, and Declan was feeling a problem the other day, which is why I had to substitute him."

Rice was replaced by Martin Zubimendi in the 80th minute of Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton, having been seen holding his hamstring, and Arteta has given no diagnosis or timeframe for the midfielder. There was some encouragement, though, with Rice training with his team-mates on Monday, having been expected to be rested for the cup tie.

Calafiori, who had started Arsenal's first seven league games, came off the bench against Everton and finished the match as a forward. "It was because he had a slight issue; we don't know what it is, it seems to be something very small, but he was cautious about it," Arteta said. Madueke, meanwhile, played the full 90 minutes against Everton before missing the Fleetwood trip with his ankle problem.

The injuries add to an already stretched squad. Bukayo Saka remains out with the quad injury he sustained against Bayern Munich, and Arteta said another scan was needed because of fluid around the muscle, with no return date set. William Saliba, out with a back injury, is working individually on the grass and is not expected back before December, while Christos Tzolis is closing in on a return to training after a hamstring problem. Piero Hincapie came through his comeback from an ankle problem at Fleetwood, but Max Dowman will serve a domestic suspension this weekend after his red card in the cup defeat.

Arteta refused to blame his depleted squad for the Fleetwood defeat, and instead praised the hosts. "First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood," he said. "In the manner they did it, the atmosphere they created. I have nothing to fault the players for their attitude and intensity throughout the game, with 11 and with 10, but when you are playing in that superior way, you have to give nothing to the opponent." He was equally blunt about the missed chances: "When we create the volume of shots and chances we did, you have to score three, four or five. You capitalise on it. If you don't, there are no margins, and that's the reality."

The timing could hardly be worse for Arsenal. They have taken 21 points from eight league games, winning seven, and sit level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table, on the back of three straight league wins including Saturday's 2-0 victory over Everton. But they have not won a league game at Anfield since 2012, and Sunday's trip comes with the squad at its thinnest.

Arteta is expected to give a fuller update on Rice, Madueke and Calafiori at his pre-match press conference. After Liverpool, Arsenal face a Champions League away day at Slavia Prague on Wednesday, before returning to the Emirates to host Hull City on 7 November.