Arsenal given injury boost as national team boss provides fitness update ahead of London derby against Chelsea

Ghana's head coach Chris Sutton has relieved concerns regarding the fitness of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, ahead of the team's London derby against Chelsea. The disclosure came in the aftermath of Ghana's international friendly against Mexico.

The 30-year-old Arsenal stalwart had been nursing a nagging groin ailment prior to making a comeback against Manchester City in the Premier League. However, he was called up by Ghana ahead of the international break.

Partey was included in the Black Stars' starting lineup against Mexico, but his first-half participation ended in a substitution at the interval. This initially created some uncertainty surrounding his physical status.

However, such apprehensions were quashed by coach Sutton, who insisted that Partey's limited game time was premeditated (via Football London):

"Thomas was always only going to play 45 minutes. He has been out injured for three to four weeks, he came back for Arsenal last midweek, was on the subs bench for one game and played 20 minutes for the next game. So we knew he was only going to play 45 minutes."

While Ghana prepares for another international encounter against the USMNT, Arsenal will be fervently hoping that Partey's international break concludes without incident. They will need all the help they can get for the forthcoming capital clash with Chelsea.

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Mykhailo Mudryk's late-game substitution raises fitness questions ahead of Chelsea vs Arsenal clash

Some uncertainty has reportedly enveloped the Stamford Bridge faithful also following Mykhailo Mudryk's abrupt departure from the pitch during Ukraine's recent 2-0 triumph. They played North Macedonia in a Euro 2024 qualifier, where the 22-year-old conjured up flashes of brilliance.

Mudryk played alongside Arsenal's own Oleksandr Zinchenko, showcasing his quality until an unsettling episode saw him go down. With just 10 minutes remaining on the clock, he required medical attention and was eventually withdrawn from the fray ahead of injury time.

According to Football London, the move to substitute Mudryk has caused murmurs among the fans, especially with the marquee match against their rivals fast approaching. For the Chelsea supporters, the fervent hope is that the Ukrainian's condition is nothing more than a minor hiccup.

As anticipation for the London derby builds, both sides will be looking to improve the fitness levels of their most important players in order to secure all three points.

Currently, the Gunners are enjoying an impressive unbeaten run in the league, sitting in second place with 20 points. The Blues, on the other hand, sit in mid-table obscurity, hoping that they can enter the top half of the table with a win.