Thomas Partey
Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, has expressed great delight over the return of Thomas Partey after four months on the sidelines due to injury.
On Monday, the mercurial midfielder made his first appearance since October after coming on in the second half of the 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Partey’s contribution to the Gunner’s set up notwithstanding, the Spaniard manager insists Ghana’s deputy skipper will have to earn his place in the starting team.
He said after the game, “Today obviously Thomas is available now to play a certain number of minutes. He needs to build that, because it was his first minutes after four months which is a long time. And then, like everybody, you need to have the right to earn the minutes.”
The former Atletico Madrid man missed the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire due to the setback but his comeback is a huge boost for the title chasers, with the league entering the business end.
Arsenal remain unbeaten in 2024.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum