Arsenal have been dealt yet another injury concern as midfielder Thomas Partey has withdrawn from Ghana’s squad ahead of the October international break.
Partey, who has been plagued by recurring fitness issues during his time in north London, had managed to feature in all of Arsenal’s matches this season—except for their Carabao Cup win over Bolton Wanderers.
The Ghanaian international even found the back of the net in a Premier League victory against Aston Villa in August.
However, a recent statement from the Ghana Football Association has confirmed Partey will miss out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan due to injury.
The statement also mentioned the absence of three other players—Joseph Paintsil, Kingsley Schindler, and Osman Ibrahim—who picked up injuries over the weekend.
The statement from the GFA read, “Thomas Partey, Joseph Paintsil, Kingsley Schindler, and Osman Ibrahim have been ruled out of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan due to injuries they picked up over the weekend. The four players were initially part of coach Otto Addo’s 25-man squad for the double header. Thomas is unable to join the Black Stars due to medical issues he is currently experiencing, and his club has scheduled him for further tests in the coming days.”
According to Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts, Partey’s withdrawal is more of a precautionary move as the player has been suffering from illness.
Arsenal has opted to keep him in London rather than risk further complications by allowing him to travel internationally.
Manager Mikel Arteta will be keen for Partey to recover in time for Arsenal’s next game after the break, a trip to Bournemouth, followed by a crucial Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Arteta has had to contend with a growing injury list in recent weeks, with defenders Ben White and Jurrien Timber both missing the recent 3-1 victory over Southampton, and captain Martin Odegaard still nursing an ankle injury.
Adding to Arteta’s woes, in-form midfielder Kai Havertz has also been forced to pull out of Germany’s squad due to a knee problem.
With several key players sidelined, Arteta will be hoping that his squad can recover swiftly for the busy fixtures ahead.