Mikel Arteta’s confirmation that Thomas Partey had taken a knock during Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Friday night sent the fans into a panic.
The Dutch defender Nathan Ake’s goal in the second half eliminated the Gunners from the FA Cup in the fourth round. Partey had been replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga at halftime. After the full-time horn, Arteta was questioned about the former Atletico Madrid player and responded, “He felt some discomfort and it was becoming worse and worse.”
“He felt unable to go on and didn’t feel safe doing so. No preliminary diagnosis. It will need to be an MRI scan, and we’ll find out what he has either tomorrow or the day after.”
Partey has experienced a number of fitness concerns while residing in north London, but as of this writing, initial examinations have revealed that the Ghanaian international’s injury is not significant, according to Jack Rosser of The Sun. “Thomas Partey’s injury is not significant,” Rosser wrote on Twitter, adding that Arsenal will still need midfield coverage.
The expectation is that he will be fit for Everton, but more evaluation in the next few days will be necessary.
Even prior to Partey’s injury, Arsenal had made a £60 million offer for Brighton star Moises Caicedo on Friday morning in an effort to improve their midfield options during the January transfer window. After the Ecuadorian emerged as one of the Premier League’s most reliable midfielders over the past year, the Seagulls ultimately rejected that bid, valuing the player at more than £75 million.