Arsenal have been warned they could be in "trouble" when they take on neighbours Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday by former Gunners defender Mikael Silvestre.
Mercurial midfielder Thomas Partey still has huge question marks over his fitness, after he withdrew from Ghana's recent friendly against Brazil during the warm-up after feeling some tension in his knee. The same injury ruled out him out of his country's next clash against Nicaragua just days later.
Instead of risking inflicting further damage to the problem area while away on international duty, Arsenal recalled Partey early so that their physio team could assess him themselves. Everyone associated with the Gunners knows how crucial Partey's presence will be when Spurs make the short trip across North London.
Arsenal come into the tie top of the table having won six of their opening seven games, but Spurs arguably pose their toughest test with Antonio Conte's side unbeaten and able to leapfrog their rivals with a rare away derby win.
Arteta faces a race against the clock to try and ensure Partey is fit to play come Saturday lunchtime and Silvestre has conceded that his former side could seriously struggle without the Ghanaian.
"He [Partey] is a big piece of the puzzle for Mikel Arteta," the ex-France international told bettingexpert. "Arsenal is showing they are stretched as soon as there is an injury to Xhaka or Partey. They are short on bodies so it could be problematic this season.
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"Partey is showing he is good on the ball. He has got that physicality that is needed in the middle part, he is making challenges. So if he doesn’t play, that is trouble for Arsenal."
Should the worst happen and Partey fails late fitness tests, his young deputy Albert Sambi Lokonga would almost certainly step in as his replacement.
Signed from Anderlecht in the summer of 2021, Lokonga has been heralded as the 'next Yaya Toure' by his former boss and Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany, who recommended the player to Arteta.
Lokonga is a Belgian international but has shown signs that he may not yet be the man to be fully entrusted from the start with a game of this magnitude. While his attitude is stellar, the midfielder has struggled at times in the bigger games last season - a horror show at Anfield immediately springs to mind.
Silvestre has echoed similar sentiments, admitting the weight of a North London derby would be a lot to put on the 22-year-old's shoulders.
"He [Lokonga] is showing a lot of focus and dedication. So, he can step up and fill Partey’s boots but still, it is asking a lot from a young player. When you play those types of games, the derbies, it can be repressive sometimes."
