Arsenal may be without two of their key players when they travel to face Real Madrid in the Champions League midweek clash.
The Gunners have enjoyed an impressive run in the Champions League this season, particularly in the knockout stages, where they have demonstrated both resilience and attacking flair. Their commanding 3–0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg has put them in a strong position, with one foot already in the semi-finals of the competition.
Despite the significant advantage, even the most optimistic supporters acknowledge that the job is not yet complete. A disciplined and focused performance will still be required in Madrid to ensure progression.
Arsenal’s chances would undoubtedly be strengthened by having a fully fit squad at their disposal, but there are concerns that two influential players, Thomas Partey and Ben White, may miss the match due to injury.
Partey delivered an excellent display in the game against Brentford but appeared to pick up a knock towards the end of the game. Meanwhile, Ben White’s availability is also uncertain, with manager Mikel Arteta providing an update on their condition.
As reported by Goal.com, Arteta commented:
“We didn’t expect the issue with Thomas that we had to take him out. He felt something so we didn’t want to take any risks.
We don’t know [the diagnosis], I haven’t spoken to the doctors yet. So they will check him now and see how he is.
Again, we don’t know [if White will be fit to face Real Madrid]. So he could not be in a condition to be in the squad today and be selected. So we have a few days but we’ll have to wait and see.”
While the potential absence of Partey and White would be a blow, Arsenal possess one of the most talented squads in English football. With quality options across the pitch, they remain well-equipped to finish the job in Madrid and secure their place in the next round of the UEFA Champions League.
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Once again the gaffer poor man management comes to the fore.
Why on earth was Thomas Partey on the pitch yesterday, again to still have the world class player on the pitch after that long marauding run and scoring, is beyond me.
When is the gaffer going to sharpens up on his manmagements craft?
The absence of Partey would be a huge lift for every Real Madrid player and their Manager.Partey was immense last week,and yesterday, and has a presence which fills his teammates with confidence.Without him,seeds of doubt emerge.
And once Partey gets those injuries, they would be there forever. OMG
Stop stressing people.
White & Partey will be available for selection come Wednesday.
Upwards & Onwards
COYG
Continued poor man management and stubborn inflexibility by Arteta.
Absolutely stupid to play Partey at RB; stubbornly refuses to change formations, or simply can’t change formations and execute.
Meaningless PL game, and Partey at RB doesn’t work, still. Keep persisting with Partey at RB and expecting something different is insanity.
Partey played ZERO minutes against Everton prior to the Madrid game. It’s not like he’s not had rest. Compared to our regular starters, he’d played the least minutes leading to the Brentford game-FACT.
Who else was supposed to play RB when White and Tomi are injured? Neto?
By the way we were doing relatively well with Partey at RB until he was subbed off . I mean, he even scored a brilliantly worked goal from RB. He’s not perfect in that position by any means but he was the best option available. Timber needed the rest.
By the way Arteta,consistently uses different formations even within the same game but often the average fan,myself included,doesn’t notice these tweaks. There are podcasts and blogs out there that provide brilliant insight into football formations and tactics. I suggest you find one.
Arteta says that they weren’t expecting the issue Partey had and they had to take him off.
Partey should have been given the day off, after the performance he put in the other night it was a no brainer to wrap him in cotton wool until Wednesday.
Arsenal have given themselves a superb chance of advancing to the Semi Finals, and a lot of the credit Arteta deserves. But if Partey is missing on Wednesday, Arteta is will deserve all the verbal’s, that will deservedly come his way should Madrid turn the tie around. It’s as simple as that.
@Derek
Always complaining, didn’t see any post from you after the win last Tuesday to congratulate the team after we comfortably dispatched R. Madrid. Here you are already complaining about what is not even certain.
Solwills,
Before coming for me, why don’t you check out the Article where the headline says Arsenal stun Real Madrid 3-0.
There you will clearly see me give Arteta and the team the plaudits they truly deserved after such a performance.
So please get your facts straight, I give credit when its due and not before.
And as for the Partey issue, I was giving my opinion on it plain and simple. 🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
Was Partey the only arsenal Player that won The game against Real-Madrid? With or without Partey Arsenal will qualify for the semi final.
No he wasn’t Rowland,
But imagine us going in to Wednesday night minus Partey because Arteta didn’t do the obvious and give Partey a rest.
With Partey in the kind of form he was the other day, it gives the team a better balance for them to play the way they did the other night.
Something they may struggle to do without Partey. It’s bad management, pure and simple.
Well DEREK, I have to agree with you, can only hope Partey is fine and the gaffer is playing his favorite mind game.
But the question still remains, why he risk the player in a game of no value, especially considering the opposition we face next and considering no one in the team would have played on that patch of grass at the cemetery of talents more.
The game absolutely had value. Remember if we lost that game against Brentford, it would affect the morale in the group ahead of the Madrid game. How do you think the confidence of the boys would be if they lost 2-0 against Brentford?Real Madrid lost to Valencia just before they faced us and look how that turned out for them. Football is a game of confidence and it takes just one loss to lower confidence and create doubt. We don’t want that.
Go for it!
I’m sick of reading all the blo0dy complaints about a match that was never going to change the outcome of the league but would give valuable practice to everyone boarding the flight to Spain AND as you so rightly stated, did have value overall in many ways
Onyango,
You say there confidence could have been affected if they had lost to Brentford going into the return leg against Madrid.
Well you could turn that statement around and say that Arsenal’s confidence was sky high after the first leg result, and therefore with your theory, Arsenal should have smashed Brentford.
For the record, I don’t think that it would have impacted Arsenal in a negative way.
Remember we drew with Everton the game before we trounced Madrid in the first game. Just saying. 👍😉
Yes confidence was sky high after the Madrid win but the lineup was heavily rotated against Brentford and rightly so. A full strength Arsenal would have smashed Brentford. Similarly we didn’t play full strength against Everton. Yes we didn’t win both games but we didn’t lose either. A lose is just different from a draw in my opinion- anybody who has played the game at any level will agree with this.
Come on man,how was one to know Partey would get injured? Injuries are part of the game. It’s just unfortunate. If anything,Partey’s minutes have been managed well over the past week. Of all our regular starters,it’s only Partey who didn’t play in our game against Everton. Literally all the other guys played. This was likely done so that he could play against Madrid and Brentford.But then Ben White got injured and it meant Partey had to start against Brentford. Again, the White injury was unfortunate. Let’s be objective and have some perspective in our criticism.
That’s nigh on impossible in some quarters
Onyango,
I agree injury’s are part of the game. But in certain circumstances they can be managed better by not gambling when its not needed.
There was absolutely no need to risk Partey, it’s that simple. Why gamble, the league has gone.
What’s bigger the Brentford game or the Madrid game, it’s a no brainer. Come on, surely you can see that.
I felt a little let down here by the gaffer
I hear you DEREK, but who would you have played at RB then?
Well as the league has gone, I would not have complained had Arteta played an academy player on this occasion.
That more preferable to gambling on Partey picking up an injury in lets face it, is the smaller game compared to the Madrid return game.