Rio Ferdinand has jumped to Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey’s defense after suffering another setback.
This season, the Ghanaian international has only played five games. He suffered a groin injury in early September and missed several weeks of play after returning a month later due to another issue.
In addition to casting doubt on his participation with Ghana at the AFCON in January 2024, the midfielder may miss the rest of the season while he recovers.
Mikel Arteta disclosed during his pre-Lens press conference:
“Emile has already been on the pitch, doing some jogging. How long it will take in terms of weeks is unknown to me. Emile is a quick healer. Thomas is the same.
“They are both going to push but we have to make sure when they come back they are at their best as well. We don’t want to rush them but the team needs them because at the moment we are missing some key, key players as well.”
Speaking on his Vibe with Five YouTube show, Ferdinand said: “Thomas Partey is irreplaceable, by the way [according to Arsenal fans], but he ain’t been seen this season! Not even mentioned on the show. What’s happened to Thomas Partey? Where is Thomas? Someone free Thomas Partey. Please, I need to see him again, man.”
A few months later, Ferdinand made his opinion about Partey abundantly clear once more prior to the two teams’ match. Ferdinand had previously expressed his opinions about Partey when Manchester United signed Casemiro. “I believe there is a fair amount of debate on both sides regarding the significance of their teams.
When asked which of the defensive midfield pair was superior, Ferdinand responded, “But then, when you go through the stats on Casemiro, wipe him away.”
“I don’t think Partey is good enough defensively to do what Casemiro is doing. I don’t think [Partey] has the impact defensively for Manchester United; on the ball, he’s doing more. On the ball, he’s doing more. He’s dictating play for Arsenal.
He’s actually playing passes I didn’t know he had. His passing has been unbelievable.” Casemiro has struggled to replicate a strong first season at Old Trafford, with any consistency built this season interrupted by his own injury issues.
