Arsenal Plunged Further in Trouble With Injury Hammer Blow

Arsenal are in the mire and they’re being pulled in deeper.

Off the back of a third straight home defeat in the Premier League, whatever the previous low point in Mikel Arteta‘s reign was can be scrapped and replaced with the new depths Arsenal have sunk to.

Heading into a busy December period, Arsenal need every man they have to aid their cause if they are to stand any hope of turning around their current plight.

On Sunday, it was a relief to see Bukayo Saka able to make the starting lineup despite barely training during the week, although the absence of Thomas Partey continues to concern.

Any hope that he may have been left out of the squad to face Wolves as a precaution can be rendered false, since Arteta has revealed the news supporters had been dreading.

Speaking on the official Arsenal website, he said:

"“Yes [he will miss the next few games]. I don’t think he will be with us in the next few games but still, we’ve been missing a lot of players. We have many different issues but I don’t like to use that excuse.“At the end of the day, we are always really close to winning football matches and we have ended up losing them in the last few games and this is only in our hands with the players that we have. It’s what we have to do, we cannot change that. It is in our hands.”"

Streaks ahead of the current crop, noticeable even having played 90 minutes just thrice, Partey’s continued absence is a devastating blow. His presence in the centre of the park, both in an offensive and defensive sense, is essential.

Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos were bypassed by Wolves as if they weren’t there. Desperately slow and incapable of running, the pair offered little going forward and nothing in behind them.

The pressure is increasing and the squad issues laid bare. Europa League matches are fortunately not needing of the Ghanaian, but Tottenham, Burnley, Southampton and Everton await with only one of those fixtures, at present, looking winnable.

Partey, with a near faultless injury record at Atletico Madrid, is set to miss more matches after less than two months at the club than he had in the past three years. There is, however, nothing Arsenal can do.

The midfield is facing an existential crisis. Neither here nor there. Partey can’t help.