The midfielder is prepared to face Tottenham in the European competition on Tuesday, one day prior to his scheduled appearance in court on serious criminal allegations, affirmed Villarreal manager Marcelino
The 32-year-old Partey, 32, had accusations filed last month with five counts of sexual assault concerning individuals and one more allegation of criminal behavior related to a separate individual
These incidents are reported to have happened between recent seasons when he represented Arsenal
Partey denies all allegations with legal representative adding that he looks forward to the chance to prove his credibility”
He was granted conditional bail and two days later agreed to terms with La Liga club, who placed in fifth position in the Spanish top flight recently
His court date is at the London court on Wednesday for a plea hearing one day after Villarreal’s Champions League opener against their opponents
“I am totally convinced that he’s focused and technically prepared for the fixture,” commented Marcelino during the press conference
“Without question he is fit to participate. We are very happy to have him for his football capacity, on-field talent and his character”
“He is a great player with vast experience. He has played for a lot of top clubs. Everyone recognizes he remains a top performer”
Inquired about possible crowd reaction from Tottenham fans, the coach responded that attention is solely on the game itself
“People are discussing about a player that may well be completely blameless,” Marcelino added
“This is about a football match where what matters is the game
“It’s the nation where the game began as we know. Do you understand me? Thank you”
Partey joined the Gunners from the Spanish capital club in the year 2020 and featured over a hundred matches for the club, contributing nine goals
His current record shows four times for Villarreal since joining, including a starting role
