Arsenal handed major fitness boost with Thomas Partey set to return for Ghana on Tuesday ahead of North London derby
THOMAS PARTEY has handed Arsenal a major boost ahead of their North London derby against Tottenham next week.
The 29-year-old has been plagued by injuries since joining the Gunners from Atletico Madrid in 2020.
Partey missed the end of the 2021-22 season out with a thigh injury which saw Arsenal miss out on the top four by two points.
And he was forced to miss five games this campaign with the same problem, before returning to the starting XI in the recent 3-0 win over Brentford.
But he sparked fears that he could be set for another spell on the sidelines after pulling out of Ghana’s line-up just minutes before their defeat to Brazil on Friday night.
The defensive midfielder picked up a knock in the warm-up, leading him to be replaced by Mallorca ace Baba Idrissu.
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However Ghanaian reporter George Addo Junior has provided an update on Partey’s fitness where he stated that his withdrawal from the Brazil match was just a precaution.
He also stated that despite feeling discomfort around his knee, he is fit to face Nicaragua on Tuesday in a sign he will be fine to play against Spurs.
He tweeted: “A member of the Black Stars medical team has confirmed to me Partey’s exclusion was only precautionary.
“Partey felt uncomfortable around his knee and was advised to pull out.
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“He should be ready for Tuesday’s game.”
In another boost for Arsenal, skipper Martin Odegaard should also be fit to face Antonio Conte’s side after he missed the victory over the Bees due to a calf injury.
The 23-year-old has been named in Norway’s line-up to face Slovenia in their Nations League clash.
And Arsenal are taking no chances regarding defender Takehiro Tomiyasu after he started in Japan’s 2-0 win against America.
Having struggled with a calf problem of his own this season, Mikel Arteta has eased the player back into his team.
He has been limited to six Premier League substitute appearances this campaign, though he did start in the Europa League victory against FC Zurich.
Tomiyasu has withdrawn from Japan’s national team squad due to “club circumstances” ahead of Tuesday’s match with Ecuador.