Thomas Partey looks set to miss the rest of Arsenal’s season, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.
The Gunners midfielder injured his thigh in Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on April 4 and initial scans showed a significant injury.
Partey was hopeful he could be back in time for Arsenal’s final few games of the season, but Arteta admits that is now looking unlikely following further assessments this week.
What did Arteta say?
Speaking ahead of Arsenal's crucial game at Southampton on Saturday, Arteta all but confirmed his £45 million midfielder would not play again until next season.
“The news that we got after having another assessment was not great,” said the Gunners boss. “It is not looking very positive [for] his availability this season, but we will have to wait and see.
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“He is trying to get back as quickly as possible, but at the moment we are not very optimistic about it.”
More bad news for Arsenal
The news about Partey follows on from confirmation that Kieran Tierney had also been ruled out for the remainder of Arsenal’s campaign.
Tierney has had surgery on a knee problem and is not expected back to full fitness until July.
“At the moment it is not ideal,” Arteta admitted. “We knew that towards the end of the season one of the key elements was going to be having the team available and the squad available as much as possible.
“We have a few issues with him and [Takehiro] Tomiyasu, but we need to continue to compete and work in the best possible way.”
Lacazette also a doubt?
Arsenal’s skipper has missed the past couple of training sessions and it’s not yet clear whether he will be available to face Southampton.
The striker is believed to have been feeling unwell in recent days, but Arteta is hopeful he will be available at St Mary’s.
“We will see if he is available,” said the Arsenal boss. “There is a good possibility that’s the case.”