Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has said that he fears midfielder Thomas Partey will not return from injury this season. It comes at a key moment for the Gunners, who head into the final few games of the season with Champions League qualification still on the line.
The Ghanaian limped off in the side’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace earlier this month, with his thigh causing a problem that was said to keep him out for “weeks”. Fears over his return lessened, as Partey appeared to step up his recovery.
However, Arteta confirmed that he doesn’t expect him to be available for the rest of the season. Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game at West Ham, he said: “He’s [Partey] progressing but he had a significant injury so we don’t expect him to make progress quickly enough to see him again this season.”
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It leaves the Spaniard with a thinner squad to choose from during the run-in. The Gunners are currently in fourth, recovering well from a tricky return from the international break to beat Chelsea and Manchester United. The current gap on North London rivals Tottenham in fifth is two points, meaning any slip up could be costly. The loss of Partey won’t help either, having found a more consistent level of performances over 24 Premier League appearances this summer.
The remaining five games will be without the 28-year-old, which includes West Ham, Leeds, Tottenham, Newcastle and Everton. 13 points from a possible 15 would guarantee a top four finish this season for Arteta. That could be even less on Sunday, with Spurs playing Leicester before Arsenal’s match against West Ham. If the Lilywhites were to drop points, it could be a huge turning point for the significance of the Hammers game.
The manager, however, doesn’t think that is an advantage: “I think nobody knows about that. Last time they played before and we didn’t take advantage.” It remains an important few games for both North London clubs, especially with the head-to-head still to come. However, if they are going to do it, Arsenal will have to manage without Partey.
