Arsenal are checking on the fitness of Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko before making a call on the key duo’s availability for tomorrow’s crunch north London derby against Tottenham.
The pair have each played an integral part in the Gunners’ table-topping start to the season but, along with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, were being assessed at London Colney following injury problems during the international break.
The absence of Partey, the key cog at the base of Mikel Arteta’s midfield, would be most keenly felt. The Ghanaian returned to action in the Gunners' win over Brentford just prior to the break, having missed the previous four League games with a thigh injury, but then flew back early from international duty because of a knee issue.
The 29-year-old pulled out of Ghana’s friendly against Brazil last Friday after feeling discomfort during the warm-up and then missed the win over Nicaragua after leaving the camp to return to London, though Ghana boss Otto Addo insisted his absence was precautionary.
Zinchenko did not join up with the Ukraine squad after missing the Brentford game with a calf problem and has instead been working on his fitness. Tierney, Arteta’s alternative at left-back, was forced off after suffering a blow to the head during Scotland’s Nations League meeting with the Republic of Ireland last weekend, though manager Steve Clarke suggested the problem was not serious.
Tomiyasu, meanwhile, withdrew from Japan’s squad due to what the country’s FA called “club circumstances”. The defender, who was plagued by injury problems towards the back end of last season, has lost his place in Arteta’s Premier League side so far this term, with Ben White shifted to right-back following the return of William Saliba from his loan spell at Marseille.
Emile Smith Rowe is definitely out after the Gunners confirmed yesterday that he has undergone surgery to resolve a long-standing hip problem. The midfielder is not expected back in training until December at the earliest, ruling him out until after the World Cup.
Spurs have injury problems of their own, with winger Dejan Kulusevski a significant doubt for the trip to the Emirates after suffering a hamstring injury while on international duty with Sweden, while captain Hugo Lloris, yet to miss a minute of Premier League action this term, pulled out of the France squad with a thigh problem.
Kulusevski’s injury could at least save Antonio Conte an attacking dilemma after Richarlison scored three times in two games for Brazil to continue his fine form during the break.
