Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has dismissed suggestions linking Thomas Partey's injury to international friendlies earlier this month with his country.
The 30-year-old midfielder played in Ghana's friendlies against Mexico and the United States, coming off at the start of the second half in Mexico game and lasted a bit longer in the US match.
Upon rejoining Arsenal, Partey sustained a muscle injury, sidelining him from the midweek Champions League match against Sevilla.
He was anticipated to regain fitness for this weekend's Premier League clash against Sheffield United but will now be out for a few weeks.
"I don’t think so. He was coming from a period of absence and he needed minutes. He played with the national team and we try to be always in touch with them," Arteta said.
"Then we had two games with Chelsea and Sevilla very very close and we decided not to load him in the first game to play him in Sevilla, and then that happened in training, so sometimes it’s difficult.
"You try to prevent, if he were to get injured against Chelsea or against City you would’ve said that we had rushed him, but then you rest him and he gets injured, so it’s things that happen in football," he added.