Ghana’s Thomas Partey ‘mentally prepared’ to face Tottenham amid looming court hearing – Marcelino

Villarreal manager Marcelino has declared that Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey is ‘mentally prepared’ to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, just a day before the player’s scheduled court appearance in London.

The former Arsenal star, who denies multiple rape and sexual assault allegations, will return to north London to face his old rivals before attending a plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday.

Partey was charged in July with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, linked to alleged incidents between April 2021 and June 2022 during his time at Arsenal.

The midfielder joined Villarreal on a free transfer in August and has featured in all four of the club’s La Liga matches this season.

He has been granted conditional bail, which obliges him to notify police of international travel and prohibits any contact with the complainants.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Marcelino praised the 32-year-old’s mindset and professionalism.

“He is with the group. I’m totally convinced that he is mentally prepared, technically prepared, to play the game tomorrow night. For sure, he’ll be ready,” the Villarreal boss said.

Marcelino added that the Yellow Submarine value Partey both for his quality and his character: “We are really happy that Thomas is with us for his football capacity and ability, and his presence as a human.

“He’s a great player with lots of experience… I think he will get back to his top level which we all know that he’s got and I’m very happy he’s with us in the team.”

Despite his ongoing legal battle, Partey is expected to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Villarreal look to open their European campaign with a statement performance. He will then return to court in London on Wednesday for his plea hearing.