Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has seemingly been handed a huge injury boost with midfielder Thomas Partey edging towards a return.
The Ghanaian midfielder has been ruled out since the shocking 3-0 reverse at the hands of Crystal Palace at the start of April. He lasted 75 minutes at Selhurst Park before being withdrawn with a thigh injury.
Whilst the actual severity of the problem remained to be seen, Gunners boss Arteta hinted that like Kieran Tierney, Partey could be restricted to the sidelines for the remainder of the campaign. Speaking after the Palace thumping, he said: “It’s a little bit ambiguous but he has a significant injury and we’ll have to keep assessing him.
"He will be [out] for some weeks. It could be [that he can play again this season] but it could not be the case, because it’s an area where he had a previous injury as well and he felt it straightaway. He’s not fit.”
However, Partey might have inadvertently hinted that he could actually be fit before the end of the season. Taking to his Instagram story, the Ghanaian shared a video of him running on a treadmill.
Whilst it remains to be seen how long it will be before the 28-year-old is fit enough to return to contention, his potential reintroduction into the side could be a huge boost for the Gunners’ hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four. As it stands, Arteta’s men are the front-runners to play in the Champions League next term having swept aside Manchester United 3-1 last time out.
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They currently sit fourth and hold a two-point advantage over north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. That could potentially all change sooner than later though with the two sides set to clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next month.
Partey will certainly hope to be involved in a game of such magnitude having finally emerged as a key player for Arteta since his 2020 arrival from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. He has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners this term, scoring twice.
Arsenal immediately missed his presence in the centre of the park as they suffered back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Southampton. They now appear back on track though with victories over Chelsea and Manchester United.
Mohamed Elneny has proven to be a capable deputy in Partey’s absence but the Egyptian might not be an Arsenal player for too much longer, with his contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign. He has suggested though that he has ambitions of remaining with the club.
“I don’t decide who plays but I keep going in training to show how good I am and to make him play me,” he said. “If I don’t play I keep going until I get my chance. If Arsenal say ‘we want you’ I don’t think about leaving. It’s my family for six years. I love this club.”
