Arsenal have received a major boost with regards to Thomas Partey, who picked up a knock against Manchester City in their FA Cup clash last Friday.
The Ghana international has stayed fit all season and has been one of the key reasons for Arsenal’s impeccable form. This is a sharp contrast to the fitness issues he battled with in his first two seasons at the Emirates, giving credence to the talks of him being a huge addition to the side, capable of bringing trophies.
However, it looked like those injury woes returned when he was replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga following his expression of discomfort.
Arsenal ended up losing the tie and getting knocked out of the FA Cup, but the major concern of the management team was Partey’s injury.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke about it after the game. “He felt something and we didn’t want to take any risks, so he could not continue. He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse, so he could not continue,” Arteta told reporters.
“He wasn’t comfortable to continue. Obviously tomorrow, the day after he will have to have an MRI scan and see what he has.”
However, The Sun has reported that the results of the scan carried out on Partey leave no room for worry in the minds of the Arsenal management, who were looking at the possibility of playing with a really thin centre midfield.
Mohamed Elneny could be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, leaving Partey, Granit Xhaka and Lokonga as Arteta’s only options.
The Gunners have chased a few central midfielders, with the most recent being Moises Caicedo of Brighton and Hove Albion, who is keen to join Arsenal.
The former Atlético de Madrid man could be back as early as next weekend’s trip to Everton in the Premier League and could make the starting XI for the game as they look to extend their league at the top of the table.
Partey has chipped in with two goals in 21 games this season. Both were long range stunners against Nottingham Forest and their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Those goals take his total tally to four goals from 80 games in the Arsenal shirt.
His contract expires in 2025 and the club is not in a hurry to discuss terms of renewal. The outcome of this season could speed things up, however, as the Ghana international has become a fan favourite at the Emirates.
