Arteta provides an injury update on Partey

The Arsenal midfielder limped off during the final 16 minutes of Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed Thomas Partey suffered a muscle issue at Villa Park, but he couldn’t offer a verdict on how serious the injury could be.

Injuries have been a near-constant since Partey completed a €50m transfer from Atletico Madrid. He has played 13 times for Arsenal in all competitions and only returned from a hip problem at the beginning of January.

The sight of him limping off the pitch late into the club’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday with a suspected thigh issue was yet another unwelcome blow.

“He had a muscular issue so we had to take him off,” said Arteta on Partey during a post-match conference on Saturday evening.

“He could not carry on playing. We will see the extent of the injury. He wasn’t feeling well enough to continue playing so we had to take him off.”

Ollie Watkins’ second-minute strike proved the difference at Villa Park as Arsenal fell to a second Premier League defeat in five days.

The Gunners return to action next Sunday for another league match against Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.