Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has explained why Ghana didn’t select Thomas Partey to represent the country’s national team at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Ivory Coast.
Partey was recently omitted from Ghana’s squad for the AFCON.
When asked why Partey was not selected by the Black Stars, Arteta said at his pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool on Sunday: “It was about common sense. He has a long-term injury and he really wanted to push his rehab.
“He really wanted to be with the national team but he is still far from training with the team and it didn’t make a lot of sense for him to be involved.
“Hopefully, it’s weeks [until he’s fit again]. How many weeks it will be will depend a little bit on how long the next step of training with the team will take him, but he’s progressing well.”
AFCON 2023: Arsenal coach Arteta explains why Ghana didn’t select Partey