As the clock counts down to Arsenal’s eagerly awaited north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, Mikel Arteta has updated the media on the fitness of key players Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey.

The Brazilian forward’s participation hangs in the balance, while the Ghanaian midfielder has been ruled out.

Martinelli’s uncertain status

Gabriel Martinelli, the Brazilian forward, was forced to exit the game in the first half against Everton last week due to a hamstring issue.

“With Gabi we are still assessing him, so let’s see if he can make the game or not,” Mikel Arteta said.

Thomas Partey ruled out

Conversely, Thomas Partey, who has been sidelined since the Manchester United match due to a groin issue, will not be part of the squad.

“Thomas [Partey] for sure is out,” confirmed Arteta.

“The rest we hope are available, yes we still have two training sessions, but there were no big issues in midweek.”

In the lead-up to what Arteta referred to as “our biggest game of the season so far,” the manager discussed the challenging aspect of team selection.

“When you have to announce the line-up, it’s one of the hardest things, because players feel happy and valued when they play,” he stated.

While Arsenal faces a challenging encounter against an unbeaten Tottenham side, Arteta remains cautiously optimistic about the squad he will be able to field.

As for Martinelli, his status will be closely monitored in the run-up to the match.