With Thomas Partey expected to miss the remainder of the season through injury, Granit Xhaka's importance to the Arsenal midfield can not be understated in their quest to win the top-four battle and seal a long-awaited return to the Champions League.
Partey last featured for the Gunners at the beginning of the month as his first appearance since leading Ghana to the World Cup ended prematurely as he was withdrawn in the second half against Crystal Palace with a thigh injury. And despite there being the hope of him returning before the season concludes, Mikel Arteta has hinted that will not be the case.
"The news that we got after having another assessment is not great," the Arsenal manager said in his pre-match press conference for the Southampton clash. "It’s not looking very positive for his availability this season, but we’ll have to wait and see. He’s trying to get back as quick as possible but at the moment we are not very optimistic about it."
