6 Arsenal alternatives for Thomas Partey in midfield

Granit Xhaka Dropping Out

It’s an option, but one that just isn’t going to happen. Only Rob Holding and Bukayo Saka have played more outfield minutes this season for Arsenal, with Xhaka just 78 minutes shy of the central defender’s total. Will Arteta rest him before Benfica?

Of course he won’t.

But coming back to the aforementioned option, playing Odegaard and Smith Rowe with the Swiss as the sole holding option is borderline football suicide.

That, of course, means that the it would be an Elneny pivot with those two either side. The thought of Elneny playing after his form dropped off a cliff after a positive few weeks is terrifying, not least because he’s managed just 35 minutes of football this calendar year and they were hardly awe-inspiring.

The only way Arteta could be swayed is due to Elneny being more capable of covering space and keeping up with the intensity of Leeds’ game for a full match. He may only ponder over that thought for as long as it takes him to tie his shoelace.

What it shows is the sheer lack of quality depth that Arsenal have in key areas of the pitch. Partey is out and all hell breaks loose. Heck, if the Ghanaian is out for two weeks or more than the decision to loan Joe Willock out also may rack Arteta’s brain. If Ceballos suffers a recurrence then it’s Xhaka and Elneny as the double pivot, with no other options. Still with development to come, Miguel Azeez’s skill set wouldn’t go amiss in such times.

Whatever the outcome, Xhaka will play. How bad could it get if he falls foul to injury? Nobody dare think.