Thomas Partey faces further delay in return due to setback in recovery

The midfielder, battling a chronic thigh ailment, experienced a setback in his recuperation, raising uncertainties about his readiness for upcoming matches.

Despite showing signs of improvement and participating in first-team training a week ago, Partey's return has been delayed. Arteta ruled him out of the Nottingham Forest match and expressed uncertainty about the timeline for his return.

"Thomas, unfortunately, had a little setback a few days ago, so he’s not going to be available to be in the squad," said Arteta ahead of Sunday’s match with Liverpool.

Arteta acknowledged the significance of Partey's absence, stating, "It’s a big concern. He’s such an important player for us, and he was getting some momentum at the start of the season, and then we lost him for a while."

The manager highlighted the uniqueness Partey brings to the squad and expressed concern about his prolonged absence.

Regarding Partey's injury struggles, Arteta said, "There’s a lot of things that are very difficult to control as well, and obviously, the player has a history as well where he has some issues in the past, but we have to try to protect him and do everything that we can to try to avoid it again."

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