Thomas Partey misses Al Shabab-Al Hilal meeting after no pre-season

Thomas Partey will miss Al Shabab’s Riyadh derby against Al Hilal on Friday after manager Thomas Letsch confirmed the midfielder is not fit to play.

Al Hilal visit Al Shabab at SHG Arena in Saudi Arabia’s capital in the fifth round of the Roshn Saudi League, with both sides facing a number of absences.

Partey’s unavailability is the most significant confirmed omission for Al Shabab. The 33-year-old Ghana international joined the club during the current summer transfer window as a free agent after his contract with Villarreal ended.

He spent one season with Villarreal after leaving Arsenal, where he played for five years.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference, Letsch said Partey had arrived at Al Shabab without completing a pre-season programme and would not be risked so early in the campaign.

“Unfortunately, Thomas Partey is not ready. The situation with him is simple: he came to us without having had a pre-season,” said Letsch, in comments reported by Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

“He performed well from his first minutes on the pitch, and everyone saw that he is certainly a player who can help us reach a higher level. But we have to be clever because the season is long and we are still at the beginning, so we will not take a risk by playing him.”

Partey has featured twice for Al Shabab in the Roshn Saudi League since his arrival. He came on as a substitute in the goalless draw with Al Khaleej during the second round, before starting the 3-3 draw against Al Riyadh in the third round.

He was then absent from the squad for Al Shabab’s fourth-round match against Al Hazem.

The derby is also expected to be played without another player with a previous Arsenal connection. Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday as he prepares to complete a move to Al Hilal.

Martinelli’s arrival means Al Hilal could be close to adding another high-profile name to their squad, although his absence from Friday’s match is anticipated.

The fixture will therefore take place with Al Shabab unable to call on Partey, who had made an encouraging early impression despite lacking a full pre-season. Letsch has chosen to protect the midfielder rather than accelerate his return for a match between two of Riyadh’s leading clubs.

Al Shabab will host Al Hilal at SHG Arena on Friday, with the game forming part of the fifth round of the Saudi top flight.