Watch Manchester City vs Arsenal on Sky Sports Premier League from 5.10pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
Friday 16 October 2020 08:44, UK
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not ruled out the possibility of Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney playing against Manchester City on Saturday.
Partey could make his Arsenal debut after completing a £45m move from Atletico Madrid on Deadline Day.
The new signing arrived at the Gunners' training ground for the first time on Tuesday after international duty with Ghana and could make his debut against Manchester City, live on Sky Sports.
Arteta says a decision will be made on Partey's fitness after he comes through training sessions on Thursday and Friday.
"Today he will have his first training session. He will need to go quickly. He wants to play. We will see [on Saturday]. You see players adapting really quickly and others taking a long time," Arteta said on Thursday morning.
"I've seen the buzz around the place. The fans are really happy, I've seen some really positive reactions. The same with the team and staff. We have rated him for a long time."
Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox
Tierney was ordered to self-isolate for 14 days from Tuesday after Scotland team-mate Stuart Armstrong, who was deemed a close contact, tested positive for coronavirus.
However, Arsenal have not ruled the left-back out of Saturday's game and hope to learn if they can earn special dispensation regarding the defender's availability to play.
"This is getting very complicated when we send players abroad and lose control. Some authorities have different regulations to the ones in the Premier League," Arteta added.
"We are still having some discussions and hopefully we will have more news this afternoon."
Mesut Ozil was a surprise omission from Arsenal's squad for the group stages of the Europa League. Arteta says it was not a call he made lightly and one he had to make due to an excess of foreign players.
"He wasn't the only one that is not in the squad," Arteta said.
"It was a really difficult decision for me to make because to leave players out of the squad at that level where they know that they cannot get involved is really tough.
"I don't like it at all, but the decision has to be made because we have an excess of foreign players and unfortunately we have to make that decision."
Arsene Wenger this week revealed his desire to come back the Emirates Stadium as a fan to cheer the team on. Arteta said he would love to welcome the Frenchman back and still feels he has a lot to learn from the club's former manager.
"I would like to see him back around us. He was a massive figure for me and he's someone that I can still learn a lot of things from and I would like to have him closer to us," said Arteta.
"Obviously the actual environment doesn't allow us to do it, but I think he's a figure that has to be very present in what we do at the football club because he is, in my opinion, the one who had the vision and helped this club to evolve and be what it is today."
Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports' Alan Smith on the Pitch to Post Preview podcast to look ahead to Man City v Arsenal and analyse what the Gunners can achieve this season. Plus we have the latest from Spurs, where Gareth Bale could face West Ham this Sunday, and the lowdown on Crystal Palace v Brighton and Leeds v Wolves, while Ron Walker makes his bold Pitch!
Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox
