Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey could miss the country’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Sudan due to an injury.
The 27-year-old was substituted at half-time during Sunday’s Premier League game between Arsenal and Aston Villa.
The Gunners were handed a humiliating 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa, thanks to goals from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins (double).
However, the result was not the only bad thing about the game, with Partey also being forced off with an injury.
The Ghanaian was captured clutching his rights early in the game, as he appeared to have sustained a tight injury.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta later confirmed that the midfielder was injured but said he did not know the severity of the injury.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Spaniard said Partey will undergo scans to determine the seriousness or otherwise of the injury.
“I don’t know. As I said, the doctor will have to have a look at him and probably scan him. Then we will decide what to do with him,” Arteta said.
“We don’t know [whether he will withdraw]. We have to scan him tomorrow or the day after and see what he felt straight away. Let’s wait and see what the magnitude of the injury is.”
The injury of Partey could rule the midfielder out of Ghana’s double header 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Sudan.
The Black Stars will host Northeast African country in three days time (November 12, 2020), before travelling to Khartoum to face the Falcons.
Should Partey miss the game, it will be a huge blow to Ghana coach CK Akonnor who has relied on the midfielder since being appointed.
Akonnor named Partey as the deputy captain and sees the midfielder as one of the key players to build the team around.
Meanwhile, midfielder Bernard Mensah who plays for Turkish side Besiktas has also indefinitely retired from the Black Stars.
“I have decided to take a break from the national team until further notice. I want to concentrate on my career for now. Thanks to all Ghanaians for their support,” the 26-year-old posted on Twitter over the weekend.
