Arsenal have provided an update on the injury Thomas Partey sustained on Monday night during their 3-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Ghanaian pulled up and signalled to the Gunners bench that he needed to come off just before Wilfried Zaha led a palace counterattack that culminated in a penalty after Martin Odegaard brought down the Ivorian winger.
Zaha then got up to score the penalty and while the goal was a devastating blow for Mikel Arteta 's men in the race for the top four it appears that worse was still to come. football.london reported on Wednesday that Partey had suffered a thigh strain similar to the one he picked up during last season's North London Derby defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
This was ratified by Arteta who claimed after the game on Monday that the early prognosis was not positive. “He felt something in the same area that he got injured previously, so big concern,” the Spaniard said. And now Arsenal have confirmed the extent of the Ghanaian's injury.
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In a statement on the club's website they confirmed that Partey had indeed picked up a thigh injury, with scans revealing that he suffered muscle damage.
"Our No. 5 was substituted during Monday night’s game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park after aggravating his right thigh," the statement read. "Thomas has since received further assessments, and a subsequent scan has shown muscle damage to his right thigh.
"We will continue to assess Thomas in the coming weeks, during which time he will also receive further specialist consultations. Everyone will be working hard to get Thomas back on the pitch as soon as possible."
While Arsenal did not specify any return date, the fact that he is set to be assessed over the next few weeks would seem to indicate that he is unlikely to feature in Saturday's clash with Brighton. Albert Sambi Lokonga is most likely to replace him, although Mohamed Elneny is also an option for Arteta to choose from.
It has the potential to be a devastating blow in the Gunners' race for a top-four spot. Partey has been excellent in a recent run that has seen Arsenal into poll position to qualify for next season's Champions League. However, with crucial fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham all still to play, they will hope to have the 28-year-old back as soon as possible.
It's the third injury blow Arsenal have suffered this week. It was confirmed that Kieran Tierney is set to miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury that requires surgery, while Takehiro Tomiyasu is not expected back in full training before April 16 as he continues to recover from a calf problem.
