- Injury comes as late surprise
- Partey experiencing back pain
- Jorginho starts in midfield
WHAT HAPPENED? Arteta said Partey is suffering from back pain and is not available for a match with major Premier League title implications. In a statement on Twitter, the club added that it was a tight muscle in his back.
WHAT THEY SAID: "It's what happens in football, players pick [up] injuries," Arteta told Amazon Prime Video. "Unfortunately Thomas felt something in his back muscle and he wasn't available to play today."
On Jorginho filling in for Partey, Arteta added: "That's why we brought him here, for these occasions and because that was a possibility and we planned for that, and Jorgi has the opportunity today."
ARSENAL LINE-UP VS MAN CITY: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arteta also spoke pre-match about Tomiyasu's inclusion, telling Amazon: "Tomi deserves a chance as well, because you need to be very adaptable in these games and Tomi has this quality, and we want to give him a chance."
IN A PHOTO:
Getty ImagesWHAT'S NEXT FOR PARTEY? Arsenal reportedly do not believe the injury to be serious but will closely monitor the midfielder's status ahead of a weekend trip to Villa Park.