23 March 2023 , 10:59
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Arsenal have sent their own lead performance physio to join Thomas Partey with the Ghana squad in a bid to keep the midfielder fit.
Partey has missed 37 games due to injury since arriving at the Gunners from Atletico Madrid in October 2020. He has been a huge miss whenever he has been ruled out and Mikel Arteta is desperate to keep him fit as Arsenal head into their final 10 games.
Arteta's men have built up an eight-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, with Partey playing a key role in their success. Now though, Arteta will be forced to nervously watch on while his star man is on international duty.
As their vice-captain, Partey was unsurprisingly called up to the Ghana squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Black Stars host Angola on Friday before the reverse fixture on Monday.
Partey is likely to feature in both games for Chris Hughton's side, who sit top of their qualification group. In a bid to ensure he does not get injured while away with the Black Stars, Arsenal have decided to take extra precautions.
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They have sent lead performance physio Simon Murphy to Ghana to provide added medical services. Partey was injured earlier this season for two of Arsenal's three defeats in the Premier League, highlights his importance to Arteta's men.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is praying that Partey stays fit for the Gunners' Premier League run-in (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)But he is also a key man for the Black Stars and Hughton is unlikely to be unnerved by Murphy's presence. The Ghana boss has admitted though that he understands how important Partey is to the Gunners.
"Thomas Partey's roles for both club and country are different from each other but key. His role in the team is as a continuity player. He is not the type of player to expect to dribble past multiple players," Hughton said.
"His role is important to what the team does even if he doesn’t always stand out. Sometimes as football fan we assume a player must necessarily fit the frame we have of him in an A team or in a B team.
"We want to see a winning team. Ultimately what we all want to see is winning football matches, and that starts with correct preparation, using players to their best of their ability and picking the type of players we have.
"There will be a lot of questions. Are you offensive or defensive. Correct preparation of the teams. Use the players to the best of their abilities. We start on the same level. Put together a group of players to play as a team and win matches."
Arteta will be praying Partey stays fit, with a huge run of games to come when the international break ends. The Gunners return to Premier League action with a clash against Leeds, before travelling to Liverpool a week later.