Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has ruled Thomas Partey out of their Premier League clash with North London rivals, Tottenham this weekend.

According to the Spanish trainer, the Ghanaian will not be fit for the match on Saturday as he continues to work on recovering from a thigh injury.

Initially, it was thought that Partey will be available for the encounter but his recovery has delayed.

‘He had an injury very early in the game [against Aston Villa], he wanted to continue the second half,’ Arteta said, after Arsenal’s 2-1 loss at home to Wolves on Sunday.

‘We knew it was a significant injury. He’s done very well and he’s working very hard, he wants to be available.

‘Hopefully, we can get him back soon but it’s an area we need to be careful and we need to be protective with the player.

‘I don’t think he will be with us in the next few games.’

Partey’s absence has affected Arsenal as they are winless in two Premier League games.

He joined the Gunners in the summer from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros.

Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen has opened the door for a summer switch to Real Madrid after confirming he would “like to try something new”.

The 27-year-old has established himself as a key part of Mauricio Pochettino’s side in north London and played an integral role in the club’s push to the Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool.

A promising campaign in Europe’s biggest competition has presented Spurs with a solid platform to build upon over the course of the coming years but the biggest challenge is now to keep the squad intact.

However, that seems to be unlikely as Eriksen has hinted at an exit.

“I have the wildest and deepest respect for everything that has happened in Tottenham, nor will it be negative. But I have also said that I would like to try something new,” he told Ekstrabladet .

“I hope there will be clarification during the summer. That’s the plan. In football, you do not know when a clarification comes. It can happen anytime. Everyone wants it best if it happens as soon as possible, but in football takes things time.

“It depends on Daniel Levy and another club has to come. Or I have to sit down at the table and negotiate a new contract. You can’t set a date yourself.

Source: Football London