ARSENAL fans have been left concerned over the fitness of midfielder Thomas Partey after he was nowhere to be seen during training on Thursday.
Mikel Arteta’s squad are preparing to face a struggling Everton side in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.
Yet despite the Toffees’ poor form, the Gunners know they will be in for a tough game as it will be the hosts’ first match under new boss Sean Dyche.
And things could yet prove even more challenging for the league leaders at Goodison Park.
That is because they are sweating over the fitness of key man Partey, 29.
The likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka all looked in good spirits during Thursday’s session.
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But Partey did not appear to be taking part in the session after coming off with a suspected rib injury during their FA Cup defeat to Man City last Friday.
Reacting on social media, one fan identified Partey’s absence from training, saying: “Good to see Nelson but no Partey or Smith-Rowe”.
While another added: “No Partey on training pictures ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜”.
And a third said: “Thomas Partey not spotted in any of the training pics I have seen. Thought they said it was just a minor rib pain? 😔.
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Arteta played down the seriousness of the issue after the game, with the Arsenal boss saying: “He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse, so he could not continue. He wasn’t comfortable to continue.
“Obviously tomorrow, the day after he will have to have an MRI scan and see what he has.”
But his absence from training now means Arteta faces an anxious wait over the fitness of the Ghanaian international.
If he is ruled out, it could mean a debut for Italian Jorginho – who joined the Gunners from Chelsea on deadline day.
A win for Arsenal would extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points before Man City travel to Tottenham on Sunday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
