“Don’t need the risk” Arsenal told to drop £45m midfielder vs Man City

Ahead of the important clash against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, Mikel Arteta has been encouraged to drop this £45m Arsenal midfielder.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has some big question marks circling in his brain as he prepares for a tough visit from the champions Manchester City. While the Gunners have the home advantage, this isn’t a fixture which has favoured them in recent history.

Nobody is denying that Man City are the best club in the world. However, Mikel Arteta will only respect his former club so much before he thinks about beating them with his own philosophy.

To maximise his chances in this match, Arteta will obviously field his strongest possible lineup. However, this unfortunately might not be possible due to some injury concerns. The boss has concerned the Bukayo Saka injury is a worry for him, but there are other players of concern to him.

Of course, Thomas Partey is available for selection since he returned from injury sooner than expected. He was on the bench in last night’s loss to Lens in the Champions League, leaving many to ponder whether he would start in the match against Man City.

Mikel Arteta urged to drop Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey vs Man City

However, Mikel Arteta has been urged not to risk playing him. Club legend Kevin Campbell has sent out a warning that risking further injury to Thomas Partey by playing him against City isn’t worth it. Speaking as a fan of Partey, the former Gunner striker has said that he should get his opportunity to return at a different time.

To this, I would argue that if not now, then when? The point of Thomas Partey’s advanced recovery programme was to make sure he’s involved in games such as this. He’s an important player and is more likely to start after being rested against Lens.

Do you think Thomas Partey will start vs Manchester City?