Arsenal suffer a blow as Thomas Partey picked up an injury and will miss their opening game against Brentford.
The Ghanaian midfielder endured a knock during last week’s friendly against London rivals Chelsea. He underwent a scan on Monday and the initial diagnosis does not paint it as very serious.
An exact estimate for his recovery is still unknown but Arsenal will miss Partey in the opening match against Brentford. The early indications state that he might miss further matches beyond that as well.
A struggle for fitness
The midfielder will visit an ankle specialist for further tests to determine the severity of damage caused to his ligaments.
In addition to missing the opening clash against Brentford, Arsenal will be without Partey when facing Chelsea and Manchester City in September.
Arsenal signed Partey from Atletico Madrid for around £45,000,000 last summer. However, various injury issues plagued his debut season. He made 24 appearances in the League, but only 16 of them were starts. He missed at least three consecutive games through injury on three occasions.
Arsenal gaffer Arteta views Partey as a key figure in his rebuild at the club. The Gunners look to better last season’s 8th-place finish. Any absences would cause complications, especially since they face Chelsea and Manchester City before September.
Albert Sambi Lokonga is Arsenal’s latest addition in midfield. They are keeping tabs on other options including Olympique Lyonnais’ Houssem Auoar. However, signing a new face would depend on making another sale.
Until recently, Granit Xhaka was due to depart for Roma. Notwithstanding, Arsenal turned the situation on its head and offered him a new contract. Arteta tagged him as crucial to the squad and stated he wanted him at the club for next season.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on: