Mikel Arteta will be forced to find a solution to his midfield dilemma when Arsenal face Brighton on Saturday. The Spaniard will be without midfielder Thomas Partey after a scan revealed the Ghanian had suffered a thigh injury against Crystal Palace on Monday.
The 28-year-old has been a mainstay for the Gunners so far this season, making 24 Premier League appearances. Discussing the midfielder’s injury, Arteta said in his pre-match press conference: “It is a little bit ambiguous, but he has a significant injury and we’ll have to keep assessing him, but he will be out for some weeks. It could be (an issue), but it could also not be because it’s an area where he had a previous injury as well and he felt it straight away. It’s not quick.”
With a thin squad, the manager has few options to call upon ahead of a huge period for the rest of the season. The Gunners currently sit fifth, level on points with Tottenham in fourth but with a tough run before they can confirm Champions League qualification.
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This could mean Albert Sambi Lokonga could be handed another chance to impress. Often used from the bench since his transfer from Anderlecht last summer, the 22-year-old has made 15 Premier League appearances this season and has a lot of potential, with a senior Belgium call up recently handed to him.
The Belgian’s passing numbers in particular are impressive, suggesting he could be a key figure for Arteta’s future team and his style of play. As per FBRef, Lokonga is in the 90th percentile for pass completion per 90 minutes with 89 percent, meaning he is in the top ten percent of midfielders passing as well as he is.
He is also in the top rankings for passes attempted, sitting in the 75th percentile. Ball carrying is another strength of his, in the 92nd percentile for progressive carries per 90 minutes with 6.52 attempted.
Where he may need to improve is his defensive stats, somewhere Partey excels. Lokonga ranks low for tackles and clearances, meaning Granit Xhaka may be a more likely option for a reserved role compared to his more recent advanced positioning.
It remains to be seen if this is how Arteta will look to line up, but it isn’t all doom and gloom following the Palace loss and the Partey injury. It isn’t over until its over and there’s plenty of football left to be played this season.
