Arsenal have received a timely boost with the news that Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Mo Elneny will be available for upcoming matches against Wolves and Manchester City.
The quartet was due to join up with their respective countries after today’s match with Norwich but the Confederation of African Football has accepted a request from clubs to delay the release of players to the African Cup of Nations until 3 January.
The Associated Press claim to have seen a letter from FIFA deputy secretary Mattias Grafstrom which reads:
“CAF has decided that for those players who have official club matches between the 27 December 2021 and 3 January 2022, the participating member associations in question are to be directed that these players may remain with their clubs to participate in these matches and be released after the last match during this period.”
Hosts Cameroon faces Burkina Faso in the first game of the 2022 AFCON on 9 January and the tournament ends on 6 February.
Depending on how they get on, our boys could miss up to six matches in total. The Carabao Cup double-header with Liverpool, the FA Cup game with Nottingham Forest (and fourth-round tie if we win), the north London derby at Sp*rs and a home game with Burnley.
I saw Auba’s name in that list. What’s the point of keeping him in London if he’s training alone?
Weird that Auba is also staying. Arteta so far shows no intention of including him in the squad.
If he‘s needed, he‘s available. Simple.
We not playing the 4th round?
Common sense 1-0 FIFA.
CAF and largely everyone in Africa always want the players to succeed in Europe because they know what it means to them and everyone around them
Definitely good news!
Even if 3 of those 4 players aren’t currently regulars in the starting 11, it will give Arteta a lot more flexibility for these next 3 rushed games. Expecting to see a bit less rotation now!
COYG!!
Having Partey for the Man City game is huge. I want to see our best team out for this game.