Arsenal Update: Club's Key Starters Remain Sidelined, Will Miss Benfica Match

Arsenal will continue to miss the services of Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney for now.

Both did not suit up against Leeds United and will continue to do so in their Europe League showdown with Benfica on Thursday.

The Gunners won over Leeds, 4-2, as they rode on the efforts of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Both Partey and Tierney could have helped, but they have yet to be ready for football action.

But when asked who between the two could have a chance to play, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta mentioned Tierney.

"It seems unlikely at the moment, but I don’t know. Probably if there is one player who has got a bigger chance, it’s Kieran,” Arteta stated. "Probably in the next few days, he can start to do some parts with the team. But I don’t know how he is going to evolve when he gets a little bit closer to training with the group."

The 23-year-old last saw action for Arsenal against Newcastle last month. He has missed six games so far. That includes games against Southampton, Manchester United, Wolverhampton and Aston Villa.

Ironically, Partey was in action in all those games. That was until he suffered a hamstring injury in the final quarter-hour against The Lions.

The game against Leeds was the first match he missed thus far. He is expected to be out for up to two weeks, Football London reported.

But the real issue with Partey is that he has been struggling to stay fit. It is a concern raised and there were even suggestions that Arsenal may not see the true potential of the Ghanaian until next season.

Arteta hopes that this is not the case and that they can see Partey at his best at some point soon.

Considering the Gunners paid a hefty sum of $62.6 million for the 27-year-old, the expectations are high. But playing in a different league, Arteta knows that he has to manage the time of Partey on the field.

Finally, Arteta knows that Partey is pressured in a way to perform. He hints at feeling the frustrations of the Ghana national player but appears to remain confident that he will eventually break out and prove his worth.