Arsenal: 5 injuries Gunners can’t afford in top four hunt

2. Thomas Partey

There is a lot of excitement around Sambi Lokonga. He hasn’t been given fair treatment from many corners of the fanbase, however, with the level of expectancy on him too great considering the league he came from.

But he’s a work in progress. He’s still learning.

Yet, were Thomas Partey to come out of the team it would be catastrophic for Arsenal on so many levels. The next No. 6 in line to start would be Sambi, but asking him to perform the role that Partey is currently playing would see a huge gulf in class. Partey has a skillset nobody else in this team possesses. He’s operating at an elite level and that can’t be replaced.

The Ghanaian is in his best form since joining the club. He’s come alive in the lone No. 6 role, demonstrating elegance and steel in a position where he is shouldered with much more responsibility than before.

If he were to get injured – his current spell in the team is the longest since he arrived – Arteta would surely have to move away from the 4-3-3 shape and bring Granit Xhaka back into a double pivot to supplement his rawness.

As for Xhaka, there is no question that him being absent would also constitute a huge loss. However, in the 4-3-3 system there is at least more scope to bring Emile Smith Rowe, Sambi, or even Bukayo Saka into the left-sided No. 8, especially against weaker teams.

That said, the Swiss could very easily have his own slot on this list.

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