Mikel Arteta will be sweating over the fitness of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey heading into the final stretch of the season. The Ghanaian was withdrawn from the game against Crystal Palace, suffering a thigh injury.
His potential layoff will concern the Spaniard, who is already set to miss Kieran Tierney for the rest of the season, according to reports. Given how thin the squad is as a whole, Partey’s injury could hurt the Gunners in the final few games.
Discussing the midfielder’s injury after the game, Arteta said: “I don’t know [what the injury is] but he felt something in the same area that he got injured previously so that’s a big concern.”
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Partey has since gone for a scan to assess the problem, coming at a poor time considering his form. His performances have begun to improve after he claimed earlier in the campaign he would give his Arsenal displays a low score so far.
He told Sky Sports: “I give myself four [out of 10], because there are moments I can really hurt the other team but there are also moments where I allow myself to lose focus and that’s when everything goes down. This is when you realise that you have to get better.”
Amid the concerns over his fitness, football.london ’s Arsenal writer Chris Wheatley has revealed that the injury is similar to the one he suffered last season in the North London derby. It could give Arteta a rough guide as to when he would be back.
The injury he suffered last December against Tottenham saw him out for 36 days, missing 10 games during an action-packed mid-season run. If the timeframe is similar, then the 28-year-old could be back in time for the clash with Spurs on May 12.
However, with clashes against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and West Ham to come, his injury timeline could see the side struggle through an important run before a potentially decisive fixture.
