Arsenal will have to play their biggest game of the season without star man Thomas Partey, it has been revealed, with the midfielder set to miss out with a muscle injury picked up ahead of the clash with Manchester City.
The Gunners face the Premier League champions knowing that a win would see them move six points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side, but that defeat would leave them leapfrogged and second in the Premier League come the end of the night.
And, following their mixed recent form, which saw them take just one point from their last six available, the pressure is firmly on Mikel Arteta’s side.
However, they have been dealt a mammoth blow just hours before kick-off as Thomas Partey is expected to miss the game.
As per the Athletic, though Partey was pictured in training on Monday, “a late injury setback is set to see him miss out”.
However, they add, ‘the injury is not thought to be serious’, with Partey thought to potentially be in contention to feature against Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime.
Partey joins Mohamed Elneny and Gabriel Jesus on the treatment table, though the latter two are expected to be out for far longer than the Ghanaian, while the fitness status of Emile Smith Rowe remains unclear after the youngster was spotted in training on Tuesday, though he has not featured in the Premier League for a month, and has just five appearances this season.
