He couldn’t travel for long hours – The message from Arsenal to GFA over Partey’s withdrawal from Sudan game

Ghana Football Association (GFA) spokesperson, Henry Asante Twum, has provided a detailed explanation of Thomas Partey’s inability to honour the Black Stars’ call-up for the Sudan games.

Twum, in his narration in an interview with Max TV, said Partey initially got cleared after Arsenal’s win over Southampton on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

However, an email from Arsenal on Sunday, a day after the game, indicated that the player was unwell. He said the GFA demanded proof of Partey’s medical condition after the surprising news.

“We monitored all the players until they finished their matches. Then in the late hours of Sunday, the medical team received correspondence from Arsenal that Thomas was feeling unwell. So we needed to take it to the next level by demanding proof about the illness. They sent an email with proof, and it was further interrogated. Dr. Pambo escalated the issue, and it went to the management level; the President came in, and Alex Asante came in.”

Twum further detailed that the FA was still sceptical and, therefore, triggered the clause which allows the player to travel to Ghana for further assessment.

Arsenal, however, insisted on the player’s unavailability, citing that Partey was not fit to travel the required hours to Ghana for ‘just assessment’.

“Then it got to a point where we decided that the rules allow us to invite the player for assessment with our medical team. We triggered that rule, and it became a condition between the player and the FA.

“Then the club sent us back an email, informing us that the player feels uncomfortable travelling for that number of hours just for assessment, so we should rethink our decision.”

Twum said after long deliberations, the technical team decided to leave out the deputy skipper.

“It was a serious issue that was discussed by the medical team; then we brought in the technical team. Eventually, the technical team felt we needed to leave him out.”

In the absence of Thomas Partey, Otto Addo invited Cercle Brugge midfielder Abu Francis as a replacement.

Henry Asante Twum’s explanation confirms an earlier report by UK-based journalist Charles Watts, who reported that Thomas Partey is not injured but rather suffering from some sickness.

He said that while the sickness is not serious, Arsenal and the GFA agreed that Partey should be rested as he has been involved in a number of games for Arsenal this season.

“Thomas Partey is staying with Arsenal during the international break. Understand he has been suffering a bit of illness (not an injury) and so it has been agreed he should rest up for a bit after playing so many minutes this season. Purely precaution,” he said.

Ghana are set to be without Partey for the first time since March 2024. The Black Stars will face Sudan in a doubleheader, with the first leg slated for October 10 in Accra and the return leg on October 14, 2024, in Libya.