Arsenal handed massive Thomas Partey AFCON boost

Arsenal have been piling on the points over recent weeks with the fixtures coming thick and fast across the board. The games have been plentiful, and so have the wins.

Hammering Norwich 5-0 at Carrow Road on Sunday made it four league wins on the spin, necessary momentum given the home clash with Wolves was just 45 and a half hours later.

However, it was confirmed shortly after the match that the game was postponed with Bruno Lage being unable to field a side for the game due to a combination of injuries and Covid cases. It is the first fixture Arsenal have had called off.

That came as welcome relief to Mikel Arteta who would have been fearing fatigue and injury for that clash, although Thomas Partey was not among those he will have shared concern over due to his involvement with Ghana at AFCON.

Arsenal handed massive Thomas Partey AFCON boost as Arteta can keep Ghanaian, Elneny and Nicolas Pepe for Manchester City clash

With nations being allowed to call up their players 13 days ahead of the competition starting, it would have meant that Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have been flying off to Cameroon the day after the Norwich match.

Work has been underway to try and extend the time players spend with their clubs, and Rob Harris of AP confirmed that European clubs had succeeded in their appeals to delay that date until January 3.

"“CAF has decided that for those players who have official club matches between the 27 December 2021 and 3 January 2022, the participating member associations in question are to be directed that these players may remain with their clubs to participate in these matches and be released after the last match during this period,” FIFA deputy secretary general Mattias Grafström said.“It has been highlighted to FIFA that this decision is taken in the spirit of goodwill and solidarity with the affected clubs in recognition of the fact that they, like all members of the football community, have been adversely affected by the onset of the COVID pandemic.“It is also assumed that a spirit of mutual cooperation remain between CAF and all relevant stakeholders in this regard, including related to the release of players and the provision of sporting exemptions to travel and quarantine restrictions if required in the future.”"

Despite the Wolves game being called off, the news will come as a huge boost to Arsenal who prepare to take on Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in January 1. The standout name in Arsenal’s list is Partey, who was looking much closer to his best in the 5-0 win over Norwich.

It’s only one more game where he will be available for selection, but it’s a big one, and a welcome one with the midfield looking thin.