Football injury expert Dr. Rajpal Brar explains Thomas Partey’s injury saga

Dr. Rajpal Brar, a physical therapist and sports scientist, goes deeper into Partey’s injury saga, why he played just days before the derby, and what it may signify for the midfielder this season.

Dr. Brar stated that he was not shocked to see Partey start against Wimbledon, despite concerns about the midfielder’s match fitness, regardless of whether or not he would play in the north London derby.

“Before the team news came out I said I wouldn’t be surprised if he played,” he began. “The reason is because with the player coming off of an injury they still have to be able to react to the demands of in-game fitness which isn’t possible when you’re off the pitch and not playing games,”

“The intensity of high-intensity training is still not close to what happens on the pitch. There’s a multitude of factors; there’s that extra competitive adrenalin, that juice you may not have and there’s so many other variables that come into play,”

“So, in Partey’s case, the reasoning for me was to use it as another game for him heading into the weekend,” said Dr. Brar, referring back to Partey’s road to recovery,”

“We know the north London derby is a very high-intensity regardless of where the teams sit or regardless of how they’re playing and so I would have been surprised had he played the full 90 – which he obviously did not.

“So, going into it for me it was just a good process where you’re trying to raise his floor of fitness ahead of the derby.”

Dr. Brar went on to say that Partey’s recent cameo appearances rather than complete games will allow Arteta to help find the midfielder a spot in his side faster while preventing additional injuries.

“Injury risk really happens when during a big fluctuation of playing to not playing for a while then back to playing,” he said. “It’s those fluctuations that really get you.

“They’re trying to include him gradually, build that floor of fitness to adapt gradually back to the demands of high level football,”