Mikel Arteta reveals new Thomas Partey injury timeline
By Tom Gott
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that midfielder Thomas Partey will need 'another week' before returning to first-team action.
The Ghana international picked up a muscle injury in training ahead of the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, and after missing that game, was also left out of Saturday's trip to face Aston Villa.
Ahead of the game, Arteta cooled fears that Partey could be out for an extended period and confirmed the midfielder should be back in action soon.
"He’s not fit," Arteta told BT Sport. "He didn’t even train with us yesterday. He wasn’t feeling good enough to do that so he probably needs another week."
In place of Partey, who has started every Premier League game for which he has been available this season, Arteta has turned to winter signing Jorginho, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea late in the January transfer window.
Elsewhere, Emile Smith Rowe was back in the Arsenal squad as he seeks to put his injury troubles behind him.
"Great news, we miss him," said Arteta of the Englishman, who underwent groin surgery in late September. "He’s been out for almost five months. He’s a player that can change a game and give us qualities in spaces we don’t have in the team so it’s great to have him back."