Thomas Partey, a player who has been plagued with injuries since arriving at Arsenal from Atletico Madrid, could miss a number of key games after picking up yet another knock.
Ahead of the game against Manchester United, which the Gunners won 3-1, rumors regarding an injury to the Ghanaian star began doing the rounds on social media.
Come the Emirates Stadium showdown with the Red Devils, Mikel Arteta admitted that the 30-year-old has been sidelined and will be out for a number of weeks due to a groin injury. However, while the Spaniard remained tight-lipped on the issue for the most part, a report from the Daily Mail has uncovered the details behind this latest blow.
According to the British news outlet, the Ghanaian has undergone tests and the issue is a combination of a groin and thigh problem. The player picked this up on Thursday, which was Deadline Day, yet the North London giants opted against signing someone for cover.
The reason: Arsenal expect Partey to be back in October — he could return after the October international break, to be precise. However, this is still a six-week absence at the very least and would see the midfielder miss a number of crucial games.
The Gunners will be without their ace, who played at right-back in the club's first three Premier League games of the season, for their first two UEFA Champions League games against PSV and Lens. Additionally, Arteta will be without Thomas for the trip to Everton after the current international break, the North London Derby on September 24, the Carabao Cup showdown against Brentford on September 26, and the clash with Manchester City on October 8.
Furthermore, due to Partey's history with injuries, this issue could take longer than six weeks and Arsenal's medical team will not hesitate to elongate his rehabilitation to avoid a setback. As a result, the midfielder could also miss the trip to Chelsea on October 21.
Regardless, Arsenal's unwillingness to sign cover despite having known the player was injured on Deadline Day shows they are comfortable with their options. Against Manchester United, Arteta started with a midfield three of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard and won the game.
And while the aforementioned German ace did not impress, Mikel has Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny, Emile Smith Rowe, and Fabio Vieira to call upon if he wishes to take Havertz out of the lineup.
The Gunners were not great against Manchester United but came away with the three points nonetheless thanks to goals from Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Jesus. This result saw them return to winning ways just before the September international break, having drawn 2-2 at home to 10-man Fulham in the game before. The North London giants are thus fifth in the table, level on points with West Ham, Liverpool, and Tottenham but behind on goal difference.
