Thomas Partey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang need to be assessed ahead of Arsenal’s crunch clash against Liverpool on Saturday, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.
Gunners midfielder Partey was absent for the 1-0 victory over Watford earlier this month due to a tight groin and subsequently pulled out of Ghana’s squad for the international break.
Meanwhile, Aubameyang scored the winner in Gabon’s 1-0 victory over Libya last Friday, but went down holding his calf and had to leave the pitch on a stretcher after the final whistle.
The 32-year-old was left out of the Gabon squad for their following World Cup qualifier against Egypt and returned to Arsenal’s London Colney training base early.
Though Arsenal’s website on Thursday stated that apart from Sead Kolasinac and Granit Xhaka, all other members of the first-team squad are fit and available for selection against Liverpool, Arteta was unable to confirm whether Partey or Aubameyang can feature.
‘He couldn’t play for the national team,’ Arteta said of Partey on Friday.
‘He really tried to do that and pushed for that one but wasn’t enough.
‘Again that’s something we have to assess because until today he hasn’t done enough.’
‘No it wasn’t pre-planned,’ the Spaniard added on Aubameyang coming back from Gabon duty early.
‘We have to assess him and see how he is and make decisions.
‘We have a lot of players who have been through different game issues. Little injuries.’
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