Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is out of tonight's Premier League clash with Manchester City due to a muscular injury, according to a report.
The Ghana international struggled to stay fit during his first two years in North London, but he has largely managed to put his physical woes behind him in the 2022-23 campaign.
Partey's partnership with Granit Xhaka has been instrumental in keeping the Gunners clear of Man City at the summit, as the two sides prepare to meet in Wednesday's top-of-the-table showdown.
Partey has come up with long-range goals against Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in the current top-flight campaign, as Arsenal sit three points clear of Man City in first place with a game in hand.
The 29-year-old was expected to start alongside Xhaka in the engine room for the visit of the champions to the Emirates on Wednesday, but The Athletic now reports that he will miss the crucial contest.
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During Tuesday's training session, Partey was pictured with his teammates and was ostensibly set to take up his regular place in the midfield, but he is now said to have suffered a late setback.
While the former Atletico Madrid man is not nursing anything serious, Mikel Arteta will be forced to work around the last-minute absence of one of his most influential players on Wednesday.
In Partey's place, Jorginho will come in for his first start since making the move to North London from Chelsea for £12m on deadline day, having made his debut off the bench in Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Everton on February 4.
Partey had sustained a rib injury during Arsenal's FA Cup defeat to Man City on January 27, but he recovered in time to play 59 minutes at Goodison Park and complete the full 90 against Brentford.
The midfielder now has four goals and four assists to show from 82 appearances in an Arsenal shirt since making the move from Atletico in 2020, but he has missed a further 37 matches through injury.
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Partey joins a well-stocked Arsenal treatment room which holds fellow midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who is out for the season after undergoing surgery on a knee injury, and Gabriel Jesus is sidelined for the same reason.
The Brazil international will miss out on a reunion with his former club and is not expected back in action for another few weeks, while Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe are both doubts.
Nelson has been sidelined since December with a thigh injury sustained in a friendly defeat to Juventus, although he has been taking part in full training and is not too far away from a return.
Smith Rowe, meanwhile, picked up a fresh thigh issue of his own after recovering from groin surgery, although Arteta refused to rule the 22-year-old or Nelson out of the contest with the champions in his pre-game press conference.
Man City were sweating over the fitness of star striker Erling Braut Haaland for the trip to the Emirates after the Norwegian came off at half time in the weekend's win over Aston Villa, but he has travelled with the squad after seemingly shaking off that knock.
Arsenal have lost each of their last 10 games against Pep Guardiola's side, and defeat on Wednesday night would see Man City knock the Gunners off top spot on goal difference.
Ben Knapton
