Arsenal star Thomas Partey made his first start of 2024 against Luton Town on Wednesday, having recovered from a long-term injury.
The midfielder had not appeared between October and February as he suffered with injuries again, and whilst he has stated his desire to stay, his future is far from certain.
Mikel Arteta’s side face a hectic schedule as they attempt to compete in both the Premier League title race and Champions League, and having Partey back will be useful, but questions remain over whether he still has the physicality to be able to perform his usual midfield role.
Jorginho has excelled in recent months, and the Italian has made himself a vital player for Arteta, particularly in big games, and it has now been claimed that Partey should still be behind the veteran in the pecking order.
Why Thomas Partey should be behind Jorginho in Arsenal midfield
Speaking on Inside Arsenal on YouTube, journalist James Benge claimed that Jorginho offers Arteta more tactical variety, and is more of a known quantity in the Arsenal team now, than Partey would be for the run-in.
“I think there’s a little bit more versatility that Jorginho gives you, and I think he just paired really nicely with Declan Rice,” he stated.
“We’ve not seen Rice and Partey play together. It’s unknown quantities. If this was January we’d be saying ‘There will be the games to try out Partey and Rice.’ There won’t be.”
Arteta needs to capitalise on Arsenal familiarity
Whilst the prospect of a Partey and Declan Rice midfield pairing was a mouthwatering one at the start of the season, questions over Partey’s fitness have now meant there is an element of risk when bringing him into the team.
His apparent loss of mobility means that he will have to adapt his game, whereas Jorginho’s experience as an intelligent midfielder with limited movement makes him more suitable in this sitting midfield role.
Jorginho and Rice have formed an excellent pairing, and with little turnaround time between games, and no room for error in the run-in, Partey should be used sparingly, rather than coming straight in ahead of the Italian, and Arsenal can capitalise on the fluidity they created in recent months with their usual lineup whilst other injured stars were absent.