Arsenal team news: Thomas Partey, Gabriel, Mesut Ozil

Here’s the latest on Arsenal’s injuries and absences.

Thomas Partey is back in full training. He is being assessed ahead of Saturday’s match. It will almost certainly take time to reintegrate him into the side and get him back to match speed — he was out for a month, after all. I would expect him to get a run-out against Newcastle in the FA Cup on Saturday if he’s fit and match conditions permit. He’ll almost certainly see the pitch against Crystal Palace on Thursday, and maybe by next weekend he’ll be ready to start and to go 60-70 minutes.

Gabriel, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, is “feeling well and showing no signs of illness” which is good news. He cannot rejoin full training until he has completed the “protocols and medical checks” required by the Premier League. When he initially started quarantining before testing positive, he could have been available for Newcastle on Saturday, but it doesn’t look as if he will be at this point.

Mikel Arteta also spoke about Mesut Ozil’s status at the club. Honestly, it was nothing new. He said that Ozil trains with the side, has been given days off to attend to personal matters, and that if anything happens, it will be because it was in the best interest of the player and the club. Ho hum.

There do not appear to be any other injuries or issues with the roster.