Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is very pleased to have Ghana international Thomas Partey back in action again.
The 27-year-old arrived from Atletico Madrid in a £45m summer deal but back-to-back thigh injuries sustained in the Premier League have kept him on the sidelines for most parts of the season.
Partey has been restricted to just six outings in the Arsenal shirt and he is expected to play a big role in the second half of the campaign as the Gunners push to have a decent finish to the season.
The midfielder made a return from injury in the 69th minute when Crystal Palace held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates in the Premier League on Thursday.
Arsenal next host Newcastle United on Monday night and a pleased Arteta is confident the Black Stars deputy captain is ready to compete.
“Obviously he [Partey] hasn’t played much football in the last four months. He had an injury in exactly the same place he had before when he got injured against Spurs.
“Now we have the reassurance that he can compete. He did it for 25-30 minutes. He did it well, he didn’t feel anything so now we’re going to be looking for the next step,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference.
Arsenal are 11th on the Premier League log.
