Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will be out for a few weeks due to a ‘significant’ injury he suffered this week.
The Gunners seem to be in the middle of an injury crisis now. The club had already announced that Kieran Tierney will undergo surgery on his knee and it is likely that he would miss the remainder of the campaign.
Partey was forced off the pitch in the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. The north Londoners released a statement confirming that the midfielder had aggravated his thigh. Further assessments have shown muscle injury on his right knee. However, it was unclear how long he will be on the sidelines.
While speaking to the media ahead of their clash against Brighton, Arteta has shed more light on the topic. He revealed that Partey has suffered a significant injury blow and did not provide any assurances of his return to the squad this season. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, he said:
“It is a little bit ambiguous, but he has a significant injury and we’ll have to keep assessing him, but he will be out for some weeks.
“It could be (an issue), but it could also not be because it’s an area where he had a previous injury as well and he felt it straight away. It’s not quick.”
The Spaniard hinted that Albert Sambi Lokonga would be the player to replace the injured Ghanaian. He urged the youngster to capitalize on this opportunity and express his capabilities on the pitch. He added:
“He played well a lot in the first part of the season, but obviously when you have one game a week because you don’t have European football, it’s more difficult to share the minutes because the minutes are less and there are players who haven’t had a lot of chances to play. It’s an opportunity for them to show what they can do. “
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The former Atletico man has been in impressive form recently. The midfield pivot also involving Granit Xhaka has been solid, providing a perfect cover for the backline. Undoubtedly, his absence would be a huge miss for the Gunners.
This latest news on Partey adds to Arteta’s problems. They are due to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu this weekend. The Japanese international is still recovering from a calf problem that he sustained in January.
The top-four race in the Premier League is heating up. Arteta and his men cannot afford any slip-ups going forward. Their north London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, have just edged past them to the fourth spot. This makes the Brighton game ever so important for the Gunners. A positive result could place them in a comfortable position with a game in hand.
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