Sat Oct 05 13:36:36 UTC 2024: ## Arsenal Boss Arteta Provides Injury Updates and Praises Partey’s Form Ahead of Southampton Clash
**London, England -** Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has offered an update on the fitness of several key players ahead of their Premier League clash against Southampton on Saturday.
While the Gunners are set to be without Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard due to injuries, Arteta revealed that Jurrien Timber, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are nearing a return to action. “We had to modify training for a lot of players yesterday and today,” Arteta said, “but they are close, and we’ll make a decision this afternoon.”
Despite their absence, Arteta remained optimistic about the team’s prospects. He lauded the impact of Thomas Partey, who has started every game this season, highlighting his importance to the squad. “He’s a massive player for us, he’s shown that week in, week out. He’s started the season really well, really fit,” Arteta stated. “The way he came back post-holidays was probably the best condition he’s been, so that was really helpful as well and now he needs to continue to do that.”
Arteta also expressed confidence in Kai Havertz’s ability to become a prolific goal scorer for Arsenal, emphasizing his “quality” and “changed mindset.”
The manager, however, will be hoping for a less injury-ridden international break following a challenging last one. “I’m not going to watch the games, just pray that everyone is going to be fine,” he said.
As Arsenal prepares for their encounter with Southampton, fans will be eagerly awaiting the potential return of Timber, White, and Tomiyasu, while hoping for a strong performance from Partey and the rest of the squad.
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