The timeframe for Thomas Partey’s recovery from injury remains a mystery with Arsenal’s medical team keeping things vague in their latest fitness bulletin.
The Ghana international suffered a relapse of the thigh muscle injury that sidelined him for a month when we lost to Sp*rs and is “unavailable for forthcoming matches”.
Having arrived at the Emirates with an impeccable fitness record, it’s typical of our bad luck that he’s only completed a total of 90 minutes of football in the last six weeks.
Elsewhere, Mikel Arteta will be without both Granit Xhaka and Hector Bellerin for Wednesday’s clash with Southampton. The Swiss serves the first of a three-game Premier League ban for his red card against Burnley while the Spaniard has clocked up five yellows and sits out one game.
In more positive news, Nicolas Pepe is available after serving his three-game suspension and Brazilian duo David Luiz and Gabriel Martinelli are both in full training and available for selection.
It would suck to be partey right now. being at the top end of footballing world to now this misery of a club.
Inspiring comment!
It’s our halftime team talk.
Sounds like you are very much part of this misery mate. Chin up, we haven’t been relegated yet.
League table is insane. 7 points behind 10th with the games we have coming up.
Plus the injuries, the Partey is over.
I miss Sokratis celebrating a tackle.. everything feels weird this season
Its his Partey he can cry if he wants to.
i think gabi will be involved tomorrow not sure he will play but i think he will make bench
Not likely. He only managed 45 minutes last week in the Papa John’s trophy. He’s being eased back in slowly so more chance he’ll play for the U23’s on Friday.
ye probably you are right
Is that really the name of a trophy? If so I think we should go all in to win it. Seems more realistic than all the others with real names and stuff…
I hope he starts. There are too many useless bodies on the pitch right now. Start the kids, please!
If our hopes are on Gabi, a 19 year old returning from a long term injury, a player Arteta was using sparingly before the injury, then we’ll be of all fans the most disappointed.
Martinelli to get rushed back too soon and injured in the first half.
Good thing Arteta doesn’t rate him.
With signs of LT coming back in jan, will be happy to see Mustafi, Xhaka sold…all the non sense of how they have improved will finally be laid to bed…both are just fake players signed by the biggest bald monster the club had.
I like Arteta but struggle how his non-negotiables rule dished out a player like LT who will never take his place for granted in the team and willing to fight till the end and choose players like Mustafi, Xhaka instead.
Not sure LT actually wants to play for Arsenal again. But if he did, and we need to free up a non-homegrown spot, then Kolasinac would be top of my list as Tierney, Saka, and even Cedric and AMN can all play left-back or left-wing-back.
Or you know, replace Kolasinac with Ozil.
Yeah, I don’t think Torreira wants Arsenal any longer, and I don’t think Arteta wants Torreira. Our execs have their work cut out for them and I hope they are working ceaselessly to correct some major problems. Arteta needs their help, yesterday, in reshaping this squad, even if it just means trimming fat for now.
I like Lucas but he isn’t the answer to any of our problems.
I just hope we dont unai him on his return and play him as a no. 10
Very positive that Xhaka and Bellerin won’t be available.
Cedric or AMN to replace Bellerin?
Ceballos or AMN to replace Xhaka?
I also think Pepe should start ahead of Willian just to shake things up.
Pepe will start, no question. He’s shown himself very well with three solid performances in the EL. But if I were Arteta, I’d pull him aside beforehand and let him know this is a redemption moment: don’t let it pass you by.
Cedric will likely get the nod against his former club – he hasn’t looked bad in the EL.
Ceballos will probably get Xhaka’s spot, and while I love Dani, I would like to see Arteta try something newer there — one of the young guns.
If AMN isn’t selected in midfield, he will start at RB ahead of Cedric.
Cedric isn’t great but from what i have seen he isn’t worse than Bellerin and he can cross.
I wasn’t criticising him. I just don’t see why he would suddenly jump ahead of AMN given he hasn’t been all season. Only one of them has been on the bench for every league game so if one of them is going to start with Bellerin out it’s logical it will that one surely
I just hope he at least makes it to the bench. We never know what mikel is thinking
Not Pepe. Horribly overrated.
No ceballos please.
To think, we nearly sold Bellerin to PSG in the summer
Disagree about bellerin.. and im very surprised so many fans feel this way about Hector… but I guess everything is subjective eey
Merry Christmas everyone ! What an utterly shitty year.
Christmas Partey has been cancelled.
I guess the players are to blame as MA is the white dove.
It’s bizarre that the recent fitness bulletin’s haven’t included Reiss Nelson. Apparent head injury in training but I’m starting to think there’s something else going on there…..
I agree. Something’s fishy there, to me it looks like one more of our young talents is mismanaged. After rising at the end of the last year I hoped he will become a regular from the start of this year and given a proper chance to establish himself and mature as Saka has, but no, Mikel wanted to loan him out. Reminds me of Sancho who city never used and after only a year with Dortmund is now a 100M player. Nelson could easily be on that level IMO. And Arteta was supposedly a guy who brings up and develops… Read more »
I don’t get your comment at all. Reiss wasn’t even in squad for EL v Dundalk. Why would he suddenly stop being involved in EL unless injured? 2 + 2 sometimes does just equal 4
We are in a dark phase but let’s not look for conspiracies everywhere
Okay, I might be wrong, but why are there no information on why he wasn’t in the squad in the last match, or now with the fitness report?
There was a talk of some light head injury I know but nothing clear on that, and it doesn’t justify it for being out of the matchday squad for the few matches now.
I don’t know but no mention of Kolasinac either & both missed Dundalk because of a clash of heads in training.
Wish I could give a hundred thumb-ups for this comment
i think you right somewhere
Poor Partey struck by an unusual injury- caught under a bus, thrown there by Arteta for conceding the 2nd goal in the NLD.
Martin Fucking Elli.
Cud he be the one to start the bounce back.
Leno
Soares Holding Gabriel AMN
Elneny Ceballos
Pepe ESR Saka
Auba
Auba comes off at 60 mins for Balogun if he hasn’t scored by then.
You wanna drop Tierney?
Call me a hopeless optimist, but with: Tierney proving his class and leadership, Saka/Pepe to retire Willian early, Chambers/Cedric settling back in to give Bellerin competition/rest, AMN/ESR/Willock all chomping at the bit to force themselves into our sluggish (forevermore Xhakaless) midfield, and Balogun/Martinelli soon to provide clinical goal threat up front… I smell a lengthy 2021 unbeaten run in the near future!!! Arteta please trust in our young guns. They are our future and have everything to prove, unlike our vets who though experienced professionals, seem to be lacking a little bit of hunger atm.
I like this, and it is on Arteta to feed and foster that hunger — he can do better.
Your optimism is needed, especially right now.
I think they don’t have the balls to say that he’ll be out for 2-3 months (Partey), as the situation is already dire and fans are pissed. Just a PR decision…
Especially as he was rushed without need, as Elmeny could’ve played in the NLD and brought some of the qualities Partey has. But no.
It does show that Arteta knows just how shit we are paticularly in the middle of the park,
Midfield look thin when we went into this season. Arteta could not seem to man manage Guendouzi preferring to try to hawk him off. What did that say when we have a talented young player and the gaffer prefers to sell when he still has good contract on him? Arteta IMO is not experience enough man managing. He had the benefit of Pep’s skirt to hide under and work out clever tactics but running a squad with big personalities and getting the best out of them a whole different game. and the list also includes the likes of Sokratis, Torreira,… Read more »
3-4-3:
Leno…holding gabby tierney…niles elneny cebalos saka…pepe nketia auba
Your all right of course but no one has mentioned, WE DONT have a captain out there,
Aubam. can only lead by example until the goals dry up then you lose your leader
I would like to see Tierny made captain, Xhaka to go he is so one paced and can’t play under pressure
The other day I saw Aziz for the first a natural talent if ever I saw one
We have youngsters with pace and ability use them they might just be our salvation
Martinelli
Auba Saka Pepe
Elneny ceballos
Tierney gab holding amn
4231
Quite a different makeup
Even 343 would be different
Auba merinelli Pepe
Saka elneny ceballos amn
Tierney Gabriel holding
For tomorrow night ? I will be amazed if Martinelli plays for the first team this month, never mind tomorrow night. Give the lad a chance to get fit.
With regards Arteta
I believe he will become a great Manager/Coach tho I am surprised he see’s anything special in Xhaka and Willian appears to have little left now
Knowing our competence in the market at times, the board will likely do a swap deal in the summer for Lucas Torreira, forgetting he’s our player anyway.
Quite a few on here think Willian won’t start, but it might just be wishful thinking.
Saka also needs to be rested a little, but given this is a must-win game, he’ll play a (most likely major) part in this one for sure.
Very unlikely that Martinelli would play any part even if he’s on the bench.
Quite right. He has looked very poor in every match but keeps getting picked, there is absolutely evidence to support the notion that he will be dropped for tonight’s game. Unfortunately.
*absolutely no evidence*
sorry about that
What did Leonard Cohen say: “There’s a crack in everything. That’s where the light gets in”.
Still waiting for AMN to get an EPL run in midfield
The loss of partey us offset by the loss of bellerin and xhaka