Arsenal have been handed a possible damage enhance forward of their upcoming Premier League assembly with Tottenham Hotspur.
What’s the newest?
That’s in accordance with Otto Addo, with the Ghana supervisor revealing on Monday (through the Night Commonplace) that, regardless of withdrawing from the Black Stars beginning XI simply minutes forward of their 3-0 defeat to Brazil final Friday on account of a knee damage – earlier than subsequently returning to north London – the 29-year-old will return to health “very quickly”.
Relating to the situation of the midfielder, Addo mentioned: “Hopefully Thomas will likely be wholesome very, very quickly. We didn’t need to take that danger in a pleasant recreation to play him in opposition to Brazil, however absolutely taking part in a participant like him in opposition to a squad like Brazil would have been useful.”
Nice information for Arteta
With Addo suggesting that Partey’s withdrawal from the Ghana squad was extra precautionary fairly than a results of a critical setback, the worldwide supervisor’s feedback will undoubtedly be nice information for Mikel Arteta and his aspect forward of such an essential fixture this weekend.
Certainly, regardless of having already missed 4 league fixtures this season on account of a thigh damage, the £32.4m-rated expertise has nonetheless confirmed his significance to Arteta over the 4 top-flight video games wherein he has featured, making a mean of two.5 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 50.8 passes and profitable 6.3 duels – at a hit charge of 51% – per outing.
These metrics have seen the £200k-per-week midfielder common an especially spectacular SofaScore match ranking of 6.90, rating him as Arsenal’s joint tenth-best participant within the English prime flight in 2022/23 – taking part in an influential position within the Gunners’ present top-of-the-table place.
The 29-year-old was additionally considered one of Arteta’s key gamers final outing, averaging a SofaScore match ranking of 7.00 over his 24 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, seeing the previous Atletico Madrid star rank as Arsenal’s fourth-best performer within the division final season.
It’s efficiency ranges similar to these which have seen the 40-cap worldwide earn a big quantity of reward from his supervisor, who mentioned of Partey following a 3-0 win over Newcastle United again in January 2021:
“I’m actually completely happy. He acquired higher and higher as the sport went on. He has an enormous affect and gave us issues which have been completely different from every other participant. We now have to guard him as he’s not performed that a lot.”
Talking after the identical fixture, Granit Xhaka added of the Ghanaian: “He is essential to our crew. He brings plenty of expertise on a excessive degree and he confirmed right this moment how essential he’s for us and we’re so completely happy.”
As such, ought to Partey be deemed accessible for the north London derby on Saturday afternoon, it’s clear to see that the midfielder’s return would come as an enormous enhance to Arteta and his aspect – as a victory over Spurs wouldn’t solely give their supporters the native bragging rights but in addition make sure the Gunners retain their first place standing within the league.
