Thomas Partey will pull out of international duty after his injury against Aston Villa on Sunday, according to a report.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Thomas Partey of Arsenal shoots under pressure from Trezeguet of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on November 08, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Thomas Partey of Arsenal shoots under pressure from Trezeguet of Aston Villa on November 08, 2020. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Charles Watts reports that Thomas Partey will stay with Arsenal over the international break after picking up a thigh injury against Aston Villa. The midfielder received a call-up to play for Ghana, but he’s no longer planning to make the trip.

As we covered after the match, Mikel Arteta doesn’t yet know the extent of the injury. They’re planning scans today or tomorrow to assess the severity of the problem. But it seems the decision to hold him back from internationals is now made.

Partey came off at half-time against Villa, but he picked up the injury after just seven or eight minutes. It’s not exactly clear why he played on until half-time despite carrying the problem.

If we’re being optimistic, it may mean the injury isn’t too serious, and the international break will be enough to get him back fit again. A more pessimistic outlook is that he may have done further damage by staying on.

We should find out more in the coming days, once Arsenal’s assessments are complete.