Mikel Arteta confirms Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes set for late fitness test while Partey ruled out against Nottingham Forest
In preparation for their upcoming clash with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, has received some encouraging news regarding the fitness of certain key players.
The Gunners are scheduled to visit the City Ground on Thursday, and Arteta provided updates during his press conference earlier today. He confirmed that midfielder Declan Rice, who was substituted during Arsenal's recent 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace due to injury, will undergo a late fitness assessment.
Additionally, Arteta disclosed that Thomas Partey will not be available due to ongoing concerns about his match fitness. Regarding team selection, Arteta stated, “We’ve got some late decisions to make. Thomas [Partey] won’t be one of those but we have a few that had some issues at the end of the last game & we’re still uncertain with a few players.”
Arteta acknowledged that while Partey will not feature in the upcoming match, there is hope for his return against Liverpool. He emphasized Partey's significance to the team, expressing, “Thomas is not in the squad, no. It is what it is. You want everybody available & he’s a top player for us, really important for us, but at the moment he’s not fit yet. We will see [if he will be involved vs. Liverpool]. We will see how it evolves & if that’s too short or that’s okay.”
Regarding Declan Rice's status, Arteta mentioned that the midfielder, who was replaced by Jorginho during the Crystal Palace game, has resumed training but will still need to undergo a fitness evaluation.
Arteta also provided an update on Gabriel Magalhaes, who showcased an impressive performance by scoring a brace against Palace. He expressed optimism about Gabriel's potential return, stating, “He [Rice] is one of the players [late decision], yes. He’s done some work but has missed some work as well. Hopefully he’s going to be okay. That’s another one [Gabriel], yes," signaling the possibility of Gabriel's involvement in the upcoming fixture.
No comments:
Post a Comment