The African Cup of Nations will have an impact on a host of Premier League clubs this winter but Arsenal are set to miss two players in one crucial area of the pitch.
Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny will be assured call-ups to the Ghanaian and Egyptian teams for the tournament.
Partey is The Black Stars’ key figure in their midfield and standout player whilst Elneny alongside Mohamed Salah are the nation’s Premier League participants.
The tournament is set to run from the 9th of January to the 6th of February next year. Players could join up with their countries some days prior to the tournament which means the New Year’s Day fixture could also be missed.
Arsenal therefore could see Partey and Elneny miss as many as 7 games including both the Carabao Cup semi-final legs and FA Cup third and fourth rounds should the Gunners be involved.
Arsenal are due to play Wolverhampton Wanderers on the 8th of February which could also be affected. The league games between the dates are Manchester City (H) Tottenham Hotspur (A) Burnley (H) and Wolves (A).
It, therefore, is unsurprising to learn that in Miguel Azeez’s loan deal to Portsmouth the club have included a recall clause.
Confirmed to HampshireLive by Pompey head coach Danny Cowley, Arsenal have indeed inserted a clause to bring the player back at some agreed time during the season.
“All loan players tend to have recall clauses, they all tend to have them,” Cowley said.
“But most of them are on our terms and there are specific dates.
“We have got quite good relationships with a lot of the clubs we have loaned from.”
Considering that Arsenal decided to recall Eddie Nketiah back from his loan to Leeds in January of 2020, it is a safe assumption that this would be the same period for Azeez.
The midfielder could provide Arsenal with cover throughout the period of January and then be loaned out again at the end of the month.
Azeez is considered a significantly talented individual and a loan to the Championship in the second half of the season could be a strategic move should he prove too good for League 1.
Elneny had been previously linked with a move away from the club in the final hours of the Turkish transfer window. football.london understands Arsenal knocked back an offer for the 29-year-old.
With Azeez on loan, Elneny’s departure would have left the club with just 4 natural central midfielders. Partey, Granit Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Xhaka is currently suspended and Partey is battling back to full fitness, highlighting how easily an area can become thin in number.
Should Elneny however leave in January, with then just 6 months on his deal, Azeez could be recalled for indefinite cover and official promotion to the senior squad. It is worth keeping an eye on the talented 17-year-old Charlie Patino also making waves in the youth side's middle third.
What qualities does Azeez possess which would add to the first team? Follow our new Arsenal Fan Brands Writer Tom Canton to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
