Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he doesn’t know how long Thomas Partey will be out for after he missed the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday evening.

The Ghanaian international was withdrawn from the starting lineup for the top of the table clash at the very last minute after pulling a muscle in his back, and Arteta says the medical staff have not yet had time to determine the seriousness of the problem:

“We don’t know [the extent of the injury]. It’s what happens, it’s part of football. I think Jorgi played a good game and we have to assess Tommy to see how bad it is.”

If it was a minor issue, there is no way that Partey would have been left out for the City game, considering his importance to the team, so it seems unlikely that he’ll be available to face Aston Villa.

The Gunners are playing on Saturday lunchtime away from home, meaning the turnaround between the two fixtures is very short. The best that fans could probably for is that Partey makes the substitute’s bench for the match at Villa Park.