Arsenal’s Thomas Partey’s injury isn’t as bad as first feared and the midfielder could return for this weekend’s clash with Leeds United, according to football.london’s Chris Wheatley.
The Ghanaian was substituted in the 74th minute of the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa with what appeared to be a muscular injury with Willian coming on as his replacement.
However, Wheatley has confirmed that the summer signing from Atletico Madrid will spend the next few days recovering ahead of a potential return against the Whites.
Is Thomas Partey Arsenal's most important player?
Yes
No
Any return for Partey would be a massive boost for the Gunners as they look to return to form. The Gunners have failed to win any of their last three Premier League encounters, losing the last two against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Dean Smith’s side.
However, anything good that has come from the last few games has undoubtedly been from the 28-cap Ghana international, who ability on and off the ball is a breath of fresh air. The Villa encounter was a poor performance all-round, however, against Wolves, the 27-year-old completed the most dribbles and had the second-most shots on goal. This all despite the north London outfit having been down to 10 men and then nine-men.
Partey’s ability to inject much-needed creativity and forward-thinking passes into Arsenal’s play has been the difference in the little game time he’s had this season. The central player is always thinking about playing the ball forward as opposed to sideways and backwards as was the case last Saturday. 31 of his 48 passes were played ahead as he looked to unlock a stubborn Villa defence.
The news surrouding the midfielder is extremely positive because outside of Partey, you’d fail to find a Gunners player who can make a similar impact in the middle of the park.
In other news, Arsenal are considering offers for one defender.
