Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Thomas Partey will be out for a few weeks at least, having sustained a muscle injury in the last stages of Monday’s pre-Sevilla training.
The Ghanaian international was deliberately not used from the start against Chelsea in order to play him in the Champions League, but according to the manager picked up the problem with the ‘last kick’ of the training session, thus keeping him out of that game.
Speaking today at his pre-Sheffield United press conference, Arteta said, “He’s got a muscle injury and we expect him to be out for a few weeks.
“We don’t really know the extent of it and he has more tests today. But he picked up that injury in training, the last training session, the last kick of the ball before Seville. So, yeah, very unfortunate.”
Asked if it was a recurrence of the problem which kept him out before the international break, and if the games he played for Ghana were a contributory factor, Arteta continued, “No, it’s something different.
“And I don’t think so, he was coming from a period of absence and he needed minutes and he played with the national team.
“We tried to be always in touch with them and then we have two games with Chelsea and Seville very very close, and we decided not to load him on the first game to play him in Seville, and then that happened in training.
“So it’s difficult – you try to prevent it, but him getting injured against Chelsea you would have said we had rushed him. But then you rest him and he gets injured. It’s things that can happen in football.”
The manager also updated on Gabriel Jesus who had to come off during the 2-1 win in Spain, and while he said it looked like the kind of injury that could keep him out for a while, was reluctant to put a specific kind of time-frame on his potential return.
“Yeah, again, the scan showed that there is a muscle injury and we might lose him for a few weeks again,” he said.
“With Gabi I cannot give you any timeframe because he always surprises us. But there is something there.
“He felt it in a really awkward action and it’s true that he has had quite a lot of load in the last few weeks – with the national team and then playing those games which he hasn’t done in a long, long time.
“That’s really bad news for us.”
For Fuck Sake
C’mon Eddie take your chance, prove us we’re wrong for doubting you!
And Kai, time for you to prove us wrong as well!
agreed
Please Football Gods just let us get a W tomorrow.
Oh and also if you can tell Arteta not to start Nketiah that would be a bonus.
Eddie does a lot more than people give him credit for every match, and he will be integral to moving the Sheffield defence around to create gaps for us to attack with numbers. He’s also so quick to attack space in the box himself, and he doesn’t need a lot of it if he anticipates a sharp pass. Odegaard will have to be at his quarterbacking best, and either Havertz or ESR will hopefully bring some additional attacking prowess into the box. Early goals would be amazing, but it could well be a 90 minute siege depending how sharp or… Read more »
That’s great. He runs around and creates some space and pops up for the odd finish. He’s a solid player, perfectly functional for a bottom half EPL team. But we have ambitions on the EPL title and maybe even the champions league. We need more than just that…his hold up play isn’t good enough and he basically never creates something out of nothing. At this level those things are needed.
This idea that Eddie isn’t good enough for Arsenal is getting tired. You used to say that about Arteta. Eddie was a big part of last season, and we were excellent for much of that time. We are better with Jesus up front, to be sure, but Eddie is much better than you give him credit for in the team build up and the way we aim to play in the opposition half. I’ve been struggling to remember which game it was, but it was this season, when Eddie picks up the ball just inside their half with a nice… Read more »
“Nearly”…the story of Eddie Nketiah
He plays a lot closer to goal than your comments do! 😉
Apart from score goals or run?
Please don’t start Nketiah, please Mikel.
Such a shame but despite this, with Rice being such a force and potential options to over for Jesus, hopefully we can rotate and utilize our squad and get through it. It would be nice to see someone surprise us and pick up some slack in our front line in particular! Whether it be Havertz, trossard, esr or even Eddie perhaps!
Time to give Havertz a go up top..
Play Zinny in the 8.. Gabby, Kai, Saka up top.
That would be something to see.
No Saka up top isn’t something.
Zinny at 8 and Tommy at LB would be interesting indeed.
Yeah I reckon Zinchenko could fulfil the left 8 role well. I think he could also replicate the majority of what Jorginho brings to no. 6 too, with some additional strengths (or at least less pronounced weaknesses). It may be the long term solution for him at Arsenal, with teams targeting him at LB and being too injury prone to really rely on as more than a rotation player I’d feel a lot more comfortable about playing Zinny in midfield if/when Timber is back up to speed. Otherwise we’re relying on Tomiyasu to stay fit and fresh to start at… Read more »
Harvetz 8, trossard 9.
Would love to see that
*Havertz 8 would work better 😬
Really not sure why everyone is so clamouring to see Havertz up top. He did that at Chelsea and was pretty mediocre at it, the whole point of getting him was to rescue him from that misuse, not every tall player is meant to play up top
The whole point of getting him was so he can do a job for us. Theres a lot more to football than the position the broadcaster decides to put a players name in the pre game graphic. Havertz was misused when played up front for Chelsea but he can be used properly for us there, one of his best performances for us was Man City in the charity shield where he was the nominal no. 9.
This is no reflection on either of the player’s abilities, but they are only available for 1/3 of the season, and as such, hinder our ability to win things. Jesus is skilled beyond belief, but injury prone. Partey has brought an ill light on our club, and personally we should have rid ourselves in the summer and replaced him.
What “ill light” is that?
There’s a bloke who I line manage at work.
Lovely guy, good at his job. But he’s never in! Always sick with one thing or another.
Well the other day he came and confided in me that he’s addicted to crack. Now I’m NOT saying that’s Thomas Partey but….
There were rumours back in the day that Rosicky had a cocaine addiction, and that the club were pretending he was out injured so he didn’t risk failing a drug test while he was using
I don’t think the conspiracy theory had any basis whatsoever, beyond him spending several months at a time out over initially minor-seeming injuries.
But just reminded me of that. Rosicky seemed like such a wholesome guy!
If you are unaware of the allegations against Partey, I suggest you do a quick search on social. It has been something thrown at the club whenever he has played for us.
Allegations. If I or anyone else made “allegations” against you, how would you feel if you were adversely effected by them?
Refrain judgement until we know more.
What ill light did he bring that Wilshere, Diaby, Ramsey, Djourou, Rosicky et al., didn’t bring?
Havertz or Trossard up top for me. Eddie frustrated the hell out of me when he came on against Seville, made so little effort and got out paced by an aging Sergio Ramos
I am an Eddie fan but he looked totally disinterested and almost sulking. Not a good look
Thomas has always been one of my favourites, since he joined, however, he’s no use to anybody when constantly injured. This has to be his last season at Arsenal
Agreed. Absolute beast of a player. So good. Does the job of two players.
Just cannot keep missing so many games like this. Sorry Tom.
Played 33 Premier League games last season. He’s not always injured.
I do think it’s time to try Kai at no9 in next couple of games
Expect to see them both tomorrow then?
This could be an end of season partey. Such a bad luck but it is not a surprise because both of them has a history with injuries. Hopefully the manager is going to find a solution till January. My secret favourite is ESR to revitalise and fill the midfield with energy. Fortunately at Arsenal goalscoring is not an art reserved for the CF.
ESR false 9?
Sheffield United at home, I think this is a good opportunity for Arteta to try something different. Personally would like to see Havertz given a chance at CF, he’s been impressive coming off the bench lately and gives us something different in attack. I weirdly think it could benefit Raya as well, utilising his long range kicking instead of getting swamped in and around his own penalty box.
Do you really expect Sheffield to be a high pressing team at the Emirates after the first 10 minutes, or to drop into a low-defensive shell and try to capitalize on the counter with their quick forwards? I expect the latter, and I expect Arteta to load up on attack-minded players for this reason (Havertz or ESR in the left-sided AM), Rice the only DM. I think Raya is going to be playing as a sweeper midway up the pitch for significant portions of the match, unless we score a few early and force Sheffield to play.
Honestly I’m not sure, but I think being high press is the best way to play against us at the moment, given Raya’s passing issues and our reluctance to go long unless Havertz is on the pitch.
Prayers are going up for them.🙏🏾
Two big holes from last year’s best 11. The only good news is that we’ve managed to function without both for extended periods. We definitely need a Partey replacement and genuine competition for Jesus. We’ve got Sheffield(H), West Ham(Cup – A), Newcastle(A), Seville(CL – H), Burnley(H), Brentford FC(A), RC Lens(CL – H), Wolves(H), Luton(A) & Aston Villa(A). A mix of “winnable” and home matches, so bar Newcastle away, I feel the rest of the games, we’re genuinely favourites or have home advantage, not that these CL games will be easy. I’ll reserve my panic if Jesus is out longer term,… Read more »
The Boogie man you say?
He has a Saturday night fever?
This is why we spent £170m on Rice and Kai. Trossard and Nketiah are not duds either. If push comes to shove, Elneny is still in the books – if not for the EPL, the Carabao cup. I am so glad our defence has a clean bill of health.
I think we beat Newcastle last season without Jesus and Partey! Lightning is about to strike twice, I guess.
Thank goodness we have Rice, horrifying to think where we’d be right now without him. Would like to see him back at the base of the midfield tomorrow with ESR getting a start finally in the Xhaka role. Arteta talks about rotation being needed, but if players like ESR, Nelson, Viera, etc. are going to be involved in rotation tomorrow’s game is a perfect time to get one of them in.
We’ll never win a league with this luck. Always worse case scenario.
The way he’s been playing maybe tomiyasu should get a go up top
Thomas Partey had a phenomenal record playing for Atletico. He comes to Arsenal and he’s injured every other week. Muscular injuries. Someone please explain.