Gunners hopeful of Partey return against Crystal Palace.
The Gunners summer signing was not part of the FA Cup squad at the weekend, however, he could return against Crystal Palace.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke after his sides 2-0 FA Cup win over Newcastle and said that Thomas Partey could feature against Crystal Palace.
Arriving from Atletico Madrid, Partey was supposed to add some steel to a flimsy midfield, however, he has seen injuries hamper his start to life at the Emirates.
Partey has been missing since hobbling off just before half-time in his sides 2-0 loss to Tottenham last month and Mikel Arteta has not been able to call in his star man for the entire Christmas period.
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It was thought Partey could feature in some capacity against Newcastle as he returned to full training with the squad, however, Arteta resisted the urge to rush back his prized asset.
Arteta spoke to reporters after the 2-0 win over Newcastle.
“Yes, because we assessed the situation, how much training he’s done, the boxes that he ticked and he was still a little bit short.”
The Gunners boos then went on to say that Partey could be involved against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Arteta added: “Hopefully we will have him in the squad on Thursday. Let’s see how he trains in the next couple of days. He’s really good at the moment.”
The fact that Arsenal has seen their fortunes change in the last few weeks without Partey, means that his impending return will provide an added boost to a side that is already brimming with confidence.
There was huge pressure on Mikel Arteta going into Arsenal’s Boxing Day clash with Chelsea as his side were winless in seven matches, however, the 3-1 win seemed to spark the Gunners into life.
The Gunners made it four wins on the spin after beating Brighton, West Brom, and Newcastle to sit just six points from the Champions League qualification places, something that seemed impossible just a couple of weeks ago.
Should Arsenal grab the three points over Crystal Palace, it will move them into the top half of the table before they host Newcastle again but this time in the Premier League.
