30 March 2023 , 10:42
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Thomas Partey is expected to be fit for Arsenal's clash with Leeds when the Premier League returns at the weekend - though William Saliba is still a doubt.
Midfielder Partey has been on international duty with Ghana but did not come off the bench during their 1-1 draw with Angola on Monday. Ghana boss Chris Hughton revealed after the match that Partey was battling with "small injury issues" in concerning news for Arsenal ahead of the meeting with Leeds at the Emirates Stadium.
Meanwhile defender Saliba did not join up with France for the international break after suffering an injury during Arsenal's Europa League penalty defeat to Sporting Lisbon which forced him out of their last fixture against Crystal Palace.
Fortunately for the Gunners, Partey trained with the rest of the Arsenal squad on Thursday morning, while the Evening Standard reported he was 'optimistic' he will be able to feature in the Saturday afternoon showdown with relegation battlers Leeds.
Arsenal’s leading physio Simon Murphy even travelled with Partey on Ghana duty, though the 29-year-old could still undergo a late fitness test to determine whether he will be involved.
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Hughton deemed it to be too big a risk to start Partey for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Mikel Arteta may well decide the same with Arsenal facing Liverpool next weekend and Man City and Chelsea later in the month.
Arteta does have Jorginho who can operate in Partey's position, as he did in the recent wins over Aston Villa, Leicester and Everton, as well as the home defeat to Man City.
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William Saliba is battling to return from injury (Getty Images)Replacing Saliba is arguably a harder task for the Arsenal boss, and the centre-back could be left out of Arteta's plans to face Leeds as his situation remains unclear. Arteta will be desperate to have the 22-year-old available for the run-in to the end of the season, while Rob Holding has so far deputised well in his absence.
Arsenal remain five points clear of City at the top of the table with plenty riding on their crunch title clash at the Etihad Stadium on April 26. Asked on his thoughts behind Arsenal's title charge, Arteta told Sky Sports: "We have the right level of competition and cooperation because they really want to help each other, but they have to challenge each other as well to benefit the team and lift the standards that we want.
"The secret is probably the unity and togetherness that they have between them. They love to spend time with each other, they love to play with each other, they love to play in front of our people and they really have that sense of belonging to the club. That's very powerful, I think."