Thomas Partey forced to withdraw from Ghana as Arsenal injury crisis continues

Arsenal's injury nightmares continue as Thomas Partey looks set to join the long list of injured player in Arteta's side. The midfielder was forced to withdraw from the Ghana national team and will therefore miss the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Sudan on Thursday and Monday. The announcement arrived on Tuesday from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) via an official statement.
"Thomas Partey, Joseph Painstil, Kingsley Schindler, and Osman Ibrahim have been ruled out of the 2025 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan due to injuries they picked up over the weekend," the GFA statement reads. "The four players were initially part of Coach Otto Addo's 25-man squad for the double header. Thomas is unable to join the Black Stars due to medical issues he is currently experiencing, and his club has scheduled him for further tests in the coming days."
The 31-year-old has started every game for Arteta so far this season and despite his main position being in midfield, he was forced to fill in at right-back for Saturday's 3-1 win over Southampton. His injury tags along those of Odegaard, White, Timber, Zinchenko, Tierney, and more recently Kai Havertz, who was also forced to withdraw from the Germany national team due to a knee injury.
Partey will be assessed by the Arsenal medical team in the coming days via examinations that will determine the extent of his injury in the coming days. Arsenal are back to Premier League action on the 19th of October as they go up against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.