Thomas Partey may have dropped a big hint about possibly returning to the Arsenal starting lineup against Everton.
The Ghana international was partially rested last weekend when the Gunners needed a last-minute goal from Eddie Nketiah to rescue a point at home to relegation-threatened Fulham.
With Arsenal trailing to Josh Maja’s second-half penalty, Mikel Arteta sent on his £45m signing last summer in a bid to ensure his side did not suffer a 13th Premier League defeat of the season.
Whilst Partey did not directly impact Nketiah’s goal, his importance in central midfield was highlighted as the Dani Ceballos and Mohamed Elneny partnership never quite clicked.
Luckily for Gunners fans, Partey has trained this week and could replace one of the aforementioned duo in the engine room as Arteta’s side look to return to winning ways.
Although, ahead of the game in north London, Arteta is without four key first-team players.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is still recovering after contracting malaria on international duty with Gabon, in-form Alexandre Lacazette is sidelined with a hamstring and knee injuries keep David Luiz and Kieran Tierney out of action.
But is Partey in line for a return to the starting XI?
That may be the case as if his social media activity is anything to go by.
Taking to Instagram, the 27-year-old has done his best to hype up the big game in north London which could suggest he’s in line for a recall to central midfield.
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The likes of Willian, Nicolas Pepe, and Gabriel Magalhaes have all done similar whenever they’ve been included in an Arsenal matchday squad this season.
However, it should be noted that Partey has also done this in the past for games that he’s missed.
With that said, when he’s been fit this season, he has often been included in Arteta’s squad – whether that be as a starter or a substitute.