Arsenal star misses World Cup warm-up due to huge concern but fellow Gunner makes return

Arsenal and Ghana star Thomas Partey was an unused substitute as Ghana beat Switzerland 2-0 in their final pre-World Cup game. The Arsenal midfielder is in the form of his life but was not used as concerns of his fitness are once again raised, but his club teammate Granit Xhaka looked bright for his country.

The Ghana Football Association and Arsenal have been working closely to ensure Thomas remains fit as he’s crucial to both club and country. His lack of minutes could be due to the fact that the Ghana coach might have just wanted to wrap him up in wool for the game against Portugal but Arsenal fans will be watching with keen interest as they can’t afford to lose their star man.

Thomas is currently regarded as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League and but he’s had hamstring issues which need constant managing and Mikel Arteta will hope his country’s medical team are able to give him all the support he needs to remain fit in the period he’s out there.

Arsenal are top of the Premier League table with just the defeat to Manchester United the only time they have failed to pick up a point from a league game so far. There were doubts as to whether they could keep up their strong start but they lead Manchester City five points heading into the World Cup break.

Last season the Gunners missed out on Champions League football and that episode has fueled their quest to challenge for the Premier League title this season.