Journalist Charles Watts has now provided an injury update on Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey.
Arsenal star Thomas Partey recently suffered yet another injury setback.
The Ghanaian has hardly played for the Gunners so far this season. He has just four Premier League outings under his belt, and hasn’t been seen in action for the north London club since their 1-0 win over Manchester City back in early October.
The recent news that Partey’s return has been delayed even further will have come as a major blow to Mikel Arteta. However, following the arrivals of Jorginho and Declan Rice at the Emirates Stadium over the course of the last 18 months or so, the Gunners are now far less reliant upon Partey than they once were.
In fact, there is a strong argument that Arsenal ought to have let him go in the summer, when there was interest in his services from clubs in Saudi Arabia. Partey’s injury issues are hardly a new problem, as they have dogged the player recurrently throughout his Arsenal career. It has now reached the stage where Arteta simply cannot rely upon the former Atletico Madrid man to be available when needed or to remain fit for any significant length of time.
That being said, the 30-year-old is edging towards a return. According to Charles Watts, speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube channel, the midfielder’s latest setback was not a major one. The reporter said, “as far as I’m aware, he’s not going to be available again for this weekend’s game against West Ham. That is going to come too soon for him, but I have been told that we’re not talking about another operation or anything like that. I’ve been told that it is going to be quick, in terms of when he is going to be back training with the squad. So it doesn’t look like it’s a long term thing…[That’s] my understanding at the moment.”
What next for Thomas Partey at Arsenal?
Fortunately for the Gunners, Rice has been in magnificent form all season, and Jorginho proved with his recent performance against Liverpool that he still has plenty to offer at the highest level, despite now being 32-years-old. In fact, there is now an increasing clamour for Arsenal to extend Jorginho’s stay at the Emirates Stadium.
If Partey can play any meaningful role in the second half of the season, then that would be a welcome bonus. However, it is not something that Arteta should be banking on at this point.
Whilst there is no denying the 47-cap Ghana international’s quality, his body is clearly not up to the task of coping with the demands of regular Premier League football.
At this stage, Arsenal should simply be hoping that they can attract a buyer for Partey in the summer, though they may find it difficult to garner a decent fee in exchange for his services due to his injury record.
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