Thomas Partey wasn’t involved in Ghana’s match against Angola earlier today but is the Arsenal midfielder injured or was he just rested?
Thomas Partey did not feature for Ghana in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group J match at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda on Monday evening. Ghanian coach Chris Hughton dropped Partey to the substitutes bench as the Black Stars grabbed a late point in Angola.
Partey was outstanding in Ghana’s 1-0 win at the Baba Yara last Thursday but was replaced in the team by RC Lens player, Salis Abdul.
However, Partey was not the only player on the bench as Hughton made changes to his team. Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams was also on the bench while the injured duo of Denis Odoi and Alexander Djiku were replaced by Kingsley Schindler and Joseph Aidoo.
The draw saw the Black Stars remain at the top of the group standings – a point above second-placed Central African Republic and three points above third-placed Angola.
The qualifying campaign will resume in June this year when Ghana takes on Madagascar away, while the Central African Republic host Angola’s Palancas Negras.
With his outstanding display in the first leg, many fans are wondering if there is an injury concern with Thomas Partey considering his injury record since joining Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in October 2020
As per the photo below, Thomas Partey was seen getting his thigh bandaged during the training session prior to Ghana’s game against Angola on Monday.
Image Credit: Ghana FA via Facebook
Ghana’s coach Chris Hughton provided an update on the Arsenal man’s fitness after the game…
“Thomas has a small injury issue and we felt it was too big of a risk to start him.”
Arsenal sent lead performance physio Simon Murphy to join Partey with the Ghana squad in a bid to keep the midfielder fit. He has been unavailable for selection 37 times for Mikel Arteta due to injury and has been greatly missed during these periods.
With 10 games remaining till the end of the season, Arteta is desperate to keep him fit as Arsenal heads into their final 10 games with an eight points gap over Manchester City.
Reports from Ghana suggest Partey only has a small knock and was left out as a precaution today. The player will return to London Colney on Wednesday alongside Murphy in preparation for Arsenal’s game against Leeds United this weekend.
