Arsenal star Thomas Partey was left out of Ghana's African Cup of Nations qualification clash against Angolo this evening. The Black Stars head coach Chris Hughton eased fears over the Gunners midfielder's fitness by admitting his absence was just a 'precaution'.
Partey missed two games in February after suffering a back injury before returning in the win against Leicester a week later. The Ghanaian midfielder has proven to be a crucial player this season and now Mikel Arteta will be sweating over his fitness once again.
Partey's absence from the game is not thought to be serious, but Arteta is now facing yet another injury concern after losing Takehiro Tomiyasu for the rest of the season. The Japanese defender was substituted against Sporting CP with a knee injury before undergoing surgery to correct the problem.
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William Saliba missed the Gunners' win against Crystal Palace prior to the international break with an update yet to be issued by the club regarding his fitness. Arteta is still waiting for Eddie Nketiah to return to fitness and will hope that Partey can be available for the home clash against Leeds this weekend.
In his post-match interview, Hughton said: "Thomas [Partey] has some small issues. We felt it was too big of a risk to start him [against Angola]."
The north London outfit sent club physio, Simon Murphy, to Ghana with the 29-year-old in a desperate bid to ensure the key midfielder avoids injury on international duty. Arsenal will hope that Murphy can help Partey recover from his 'small injury issues' in time for the return of Premier League action.
This is a developing news story that will be updated with relevant information as we get it. More to follow...
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