Partey pooper + Independent Panel don’t know the laws of the game

Morning.

Let’s begin today with a report from John Cross that Thomas Partey has undergone a ‘specialist procedure’ for a thigh injury, and is likely to be sidelined for the rest of 2023. I have to admit I was worried when Mikel Arteta said ‘weeks’ about his injury when it first happened, because he is, as we all know, the most circumspect man in the world when it comes to releasing that kind of information.

It’s obviously a blow for the player, and for the team, not least because this injury came during a training session when Arsenal had tried to be cautious with him. They resisted the temptation to bring him in after the Interlull where he’d played in two games for Ghana (which is fine by me, btw – he needed minutes having been out of action since the end of August). The plan was to start him in Sevilla but a training ground knock put paid to that. We often worry about the load carried by certain players, but this demonstrates these things can happen at any time.

I’ve written before about Partey, and while he isn’t the only injury prone player we’ve had, he’s certainly had his fair share of problems since his arrival from Atletico Madrid. Some might argue that the reemergence of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has fitness issues himself, shows you shouldn’t write players off. The difference for me is that Partey will be 31 in the summer, with just a year left on his contract. Tomi is mid-20s, and has his best years ahead of him, and his injuries were not repetitive muscular strains in more or less the same area.

I strongly suspect, after all the talk of him going last summer, Arsenal have plans in place to replace Partey next summer. How concrete they are I don’t know, but there must be names on the shortlist, and an understanding that between his age, contractual situation and injury record, it’s time to move on. Unfortunately, we might need to do that in January. He might return quicker, he might be out for longer. He might be fit in…

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Author : arseblog

Publish date : 2023-11-10 06:26:14

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