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Arsenal handed major injury boost ahead of Brentford trip
Arsenal have been handed a major injury boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Brentford with Thomas Partey returning to training.
The perenially injured Ghanaian has been sidelined for the past couple of weeks with a thigh problem and has missed four games as a result. His absence was particularly hard felt at Old Trafford as a ruthless Manchester United handed the Gunners’ their first defeat of the season.
While Partey plays a crucial role for Mikel Arteta, his injury woes have been incredibly frustrating. He’s started just 57% of Arsenal’s games since joining the club in 2020 and the most consecutive starts he’s made is nine.
Arsenal handed a major injury boost ahead of Brentford trip
I'm told Thomas Partey has returned to full training ahead of Arsenal's game against Brentford.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) September 12, 2022
Partey’s latest setback kept him sidelined for a brief period, and James Benge reported on Monday night that the midfielder has now returned to training.
His inclusion in the Ghana squad for their upcoming friendlies suggested that Partey was close to fully recovering, and he should be in contention for the Gunners’ upcoming Premier League clash away at Brentford.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has brought further disruption to the football calendar. Following Her Majesty’s passing last Thursday, the Premier League opted to postpone all of last weekend’s fixtures meaning that Arsenal’s home clash with Everton will have to be re-scheduled.
The Gunners’ second Europa League group stage game against PSV Eindhoven has also been postponed, but their clash with Brentford on Sunday will go ahead. Although, the game will now kick off two hours earlier (midday).
Thus, Arteta will have a decision to make regarding Partey heading into the weekend. Against a physical, transition-heavy Brentford side, the Ghanaian’s inclusion could be imperative but the Arsenal boss must consider the risk of re-injury.
With Mohamed Elneny injured, Sambi Lokonga will deputise for Partey if he isn’t deemed fit to start. The Belgian offers plenty in possession, but his positional sense needs work and he struggles to defend the counter-attack – something Brentford will look to exploit on Sunday if he gets the nod.