Arsenal team news: Arteta confirms fresh injury blow + Partey and Xhaka updates

Arsenal get back to Premier League action when they take on Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.

Ahead of the game, Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s provided a team news and injury update that includes the latest on the fitness of Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.

Unfortunately, the Arsenal boss has confirmed a fresh blow with the news that Martinelli picked up an injury last week and is now considered as a major doubt for the visit of Palace on Monday evening.

Martinelli has endured a frustrating campaign so far as he’s struggled to hold down a regular first team place under Arteta so this injury will be a big disappointment for the young Brazilian attacker.

However, there appears to be more positive news on the fitness of Xhaka as Arteta says the midfielder is progressing ‘really well’ in his recovery from a knee injury that he sustained late last month.

The Swiss international was forced off during Arsenal’s win over Tottenham at the Emirates and has been ruled out for around three months – although Arteta suggests Xhaka will do all he can to make a swift return to action.

Thomas Partey has been in fine form during the break having scored in consecutive games for Ghana but Arteta refused to confirm whether the midfielder will be available on Monday following his long-haul trip back from Zimbabwe.

Arteta is quoted by Football London as saying:

Arteta on Martinelli
Unfortunately he got injured last week. It’s a minor injury, we don’t know if he’s going to be available for Monday.

Arteta on Xhaka
Granit is progressing really well but know it is a long term injury and he’s not going to be available. With Granit I don’t know. But what I’m sure is that if you tell him three he will be thinking two and he will be cutting edges and doing extra work to manage that time. We have to manage him carefully.

On Partey’s availability
Well let’s see. We haven’t had the players here yet some of them because they’re still travelling. He played well and scored a couple of goals.

I’m sure Arsenal will do all they can to ensure Partey is available and he should have plenty of time to recover before the visit of Crystal Palace on Monday night.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Martinelli is passed fit but even if he misses out, Arteta will still have a strong squad at his disposal as Arsenal have no other injury concerns to worry about.

The Gunners head into the weekend action sitting 11th in the Premier League table following the draw at Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break so Arteta will be keen to get back to winning ways on Monday night.

The game will see Patrick Vieira make an emotional return to north London but this time he’ll be in the opposition dug-out having taken over as Crystal Palace manager in the summer.