Arsenal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has returned to full training with the Gunners after battling back from his latest injury setback.
The 30-year-old's first couple of years in North London were plagued by niggling fitness problems, which he largely managed to banish in 2022-23 to play a key role in Arsenal's title charge.
However, Partey has played just five times for Mikel Arteta's team in the 2023-24 season due to injuries rearing their ugly heads again, as he missed the entirety of September with a groin problem.
After battling back from that affliction, Partey made just one more appearance for the Gunners - coming off the bench in their 1-0 win over Manchester City on October 8 - before it was revealed that he had sustained a significant hamstring problem.
Partey required an operation to treat his most recent injury and was subsequently ruled out until the New Year, missing Arsenal's last 18 games in all tournaments and failing to make the Ghana squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Welcome back, Thomas 🙌 pic.twitter.com/0pK7jTjgdD
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 25, 2024
Justifying his decision to snub the ex-Atletico Madrid man, former Black Stars head coach Chris Hughton - who has since been sacked after Ghana failed to make it to the knockout rounds - explained to the media that Partey's injury was the "biggest" that the midfielder had faced in his career.
It has been over three-and-a-half months since the midfielder was last seen in an Arsenal jersey, but the Gunners have teased his imminent return, confirming that he is now back in full training with the group.
Arsenal's selection of training images from Thursday's session showed Partey working with the ball at his feet alongside his teammates, as Arteta's men gear up for next Tuesday's trip to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
While Partey is now in the final stages of his recovery, it is yet to be ascertained whether he will be in the squad for the clash at the City Ground given his lengthy layoff, and Arteta will be pressed for an update in his next pre-game press conference.
The Ghana international was seldom injured during his time at Atletico, only missing seven matches in a five-year spell with physical problems, but he has already sat out over 60 Arsenal games since arriving in the summer of 2020.
© Reuters
Frequent fitness problems have contributed to Partey's hit-and-miss spell in North London, but he has proven his worth to the club when firing on all cylinders, registering five goals and four assists in 104 matches in all tournaments.
Partey's fellow midfielder Declan Rice was not seen in training on Thursday, though, having been forced off with an apparent hamstring problem in the weekend's 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace.
Gabriel Magalhaes - another victim of the win over the Eagles with "discomfort" - was not pictured either, and the Gunners will remain without Fabio Vieira (groin) and Jurrien Timber (ACL) for the time being.
The latter returned to individual ball work during Arsenal's mid-season training camp in Dubai, but Arteta recently conceded that he was still "very, very far" from a competitive comeback.
International representatives Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu will be away for a little while longer too, as Egypt and Japan have progressed to the knockout rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup respectively.
Ben Knapton
