Arsenal seem set to receive a huge injury boost regarding the fitness of Thomas Partey, if recent reports are to be believed. It comes after the Ghanaian midfielder suffered with a tight right thigh following victory over Fulham at the Emirates.
It's not the first time that the 29-year-old has suffered with problems when it comes to injury worries, having missed 14 competitive games for the Gunners last season and total of 33 since joining the club from Atletico Madrid in 2020. When asked about his absence, Mikel Arteta said: "With Thomas (Partey), hopefully we are talking weeks or even shorter than that, I hope."
While his injuries have been a problem in the past, this particular stint on the sidelines may only be further compounded by the loss of Mohamed Elneny. The Egyptian midfielder played as a backup option to Partey last season, impressing during his late campaign flurry of games and earning a one-year contract extension.
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Elneny has all the attributes to be a good rotation option for his teammate, however he is now set to miss several months after damaging his hamstring. This led to Arteta making a late push for a midfielder on deadline day, with Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz the choice of the manager.
That bid failed though, leaving the Spaniard left with his squad to try and figure out how best to replace Partey. That solution so far has been to play Sambi Lokonga, however the youngster hasn't looked so assured in that role and there may be questions over a different option.
That may not be too much of an issue though, as the Evening Standard reports that Partey is confident of returning sooner than expected from his injury. They also claim that he could be in training as soon as this week, however he will be eased into first-team action as to avoid a repeat of his injury worries.
It comes as a massive boost to the Gunners, who are thin on the ground when it comes to midfield options when injury strikes. They will be hoping that the 29-year-old can continue to stay fit on his return.
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