Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, emphasizes that Thomas Partey must prove himself worthy of playing time following his return from injury.
The 30-year-old made his comeback appearance during Arsenal's commanding 6-0 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday evening, marking his first game since recovering from a hamstring injury.
Partey's absence, spanning from his last match in October 2023 for Ghana in international friendlies against Mexico and the United States, saw other players stepping up, notably Jordginho, who partnered with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield, contributing to Arsenal's impressive form across all competitions.
While Arteta welcomes Partey's return, he stresses the importance of earning playing minutes.
"Thomas is available now to play a certain amount of minutes and he needs to build that," stated Arteta post-game.
"It was his first minutes after four months and like everybody, you have to earn the right to play the minutes."
Despite his talent, Partey has only managed six appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season, highlighting the challenge of regaining his place in the team after a lengthy injury spell.
Partey will hope to keep his place in the team when Arsenal host Brentford this weekend at the Emirates Stadium.