Despite being one of the favorites for the title and top of the league until Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0 on Tuesday, Arsenal have been suffering with a number of injuries.
Two of the biggest absentees are Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu, with the Ghanaian midfielder and Japanese defender suffering from a thigh and calf issue, respectively.
Partey last featured for the club in early October, coming off the bench to play a key role in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Man City. Tomiyasu, on the other hand, has featured more regularly this campaign but has been out since the 2-1 victory over Wolves at the start of this month.
However, recent rumors emerged claiming both men were on the brink of an unexpected return. In fact, Partey in particular was alleged to have returned to training, with some predicting an inclusion in Thursday's clash with West Ham.
Speaking ahead of that Premier League game, Mikel Arteta was pressed on this topic. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, the Spanish manager refuted those claims, revealing that neither Partey nor Tomiyasu has returned to training, thus leaving his team short for the showdown with the Hammers.
"We're not going to have those two (Partey and Tomiyasu), then we have the suspension of Kai [Havertz], so I think we're gonna have five out, but we have lots of other players willing to play," Arteta said, as per the Daily Mail.
Mikel was also asked whether the pair can feature for the club before January when they will depart North London for international duty due to the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup — they kick off on January 13 and January 12, respectively. The Gunners boss hinted that a return before then is possible but it all depends on how they recover.
As mentioned earlier, Arsenal have dropped down to second thanks to Liverpool's win over Burnley. However, Saka and Co. can reclaim the top spot with a win over West Ham on Thursday. However, the Hammers recently beat Manchester United 2-0 and will be a tough side to crack.
