Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka suspended for Arsenal against Burnley

Posted Friday, January 21, 2022 by PA

Arsenal will be without two key midfielders as they welcome Burnley to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are suspended for the game with the pair sent off in either leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s involvement remains up in the air while Cedric Soares (hip), Bernd Leno (back) and Calum Chambers (neck) all missed the second leg with Mohamed Elneny and Nicolas Pepe still at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Burnley still face uncertainty over which players might be available for the match, having not played since the FA Cup defeat to Huddersfield on January 8 following a Covid-19 outbreak and with only 16 players taking part in training on Friday.

Several have returned in the past 48 hours but their fitness must be assessed after a spell out, with Eric Pieters, Dale Stephens and Johann Berg Gudmundsson only training for the first time on Friday.

Ashley Barnes remains out with injury, Charlie Taylor is doubtful with an injury problem and though Sean Dyche said Matej Vydra is available, the striker is dealing with a hernia problem which may require surgery.

Arsenal provisional squad: Leno, Ramsdale, Okonkwo, Tomiyasu, Chambers, Cedric, Gabriel, White, Holding, Tierney, Tavares, Lokonga, Patino, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Saka, Lacazette, Martinelli, Nketiah.

Burnley provisional squad: Pope, Hennessey, Norris, Lowton, Taylor, Tarkowski, Mee, Collins, Pieters, Bardsley, Long, Thomas, Cork, Gudmundsson, McNeil, Stephens, Lennon, Westwood, Rodriguez, Vydra.