Thomas Partey has been forced to withdraw from Ghana’s squad for the upcoming international break, with Arsenal sending the midfielder for tests.
The 31-year-old has started every Premier League and Champions League game for the Gunners so far this season. While he has mainly played in central midfield, Partey was forced to fill in at right-back for Saturday’s win over Southampton.
The Gunners are already facing an injury crisis, with captain Martin Odegaard sidelined with a serious ankle problem, Ben White ruled out of the win over the Saints, Jurrien Timber picking up an issue and Kai Havertz withdrawing from Germany’s squad with a knee injury.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney also remain in the treatment room as manager Mikel Arteta battles with dwindling resources. And the Gunners boss looks to be facing a further headache after the Ghana Football Association confirmed Partey was staying
The Black Stars are taking on Sudan in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers over the next week. But the GFA confirmed on Monday that Partey will not be joining up with the squad and is instead set to undergo medical tests.
“Thomas Partey, Joseph Painstil, 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,” a GFA statement read.
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.”
Arteta will be desperate for Partey to pass the tests he is heading in for. The Gunners return to Premier League action with a trip to Bournemouth on 19 October, with Arteta’s side sitting third in the table.
If Partey joins the likes of Odegaard, White and Timber on the sidelines, Arteta would face selection headaches in midfield and at right-back. Speaking after the win over Southampton, the Arsenal boss revealed his hope that the international break will allow his players to recover.
“It’s been a very demanding period after the international break, we had so many issues; a lot of injuries, very difficult fixtures, especially away from home and some of them playing with 10 men and the team adapts,” he said.
“The team is so willing. I’m very pleased with the way we’ve come through this period and we’re in a good place. They scored the goal, and then again, we’ve thrown everything away that we did in the first half.
“It was a completely brand-new game in a really difficult context and the team reacted incredibly well with a lot of composure; big belief, very good clarity in what we had to do. The crowd were exceptional, the subs were exceptional and we managed to win again.”
