Thomas Partey, charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, is scheduled to stand trial and could face England at next month’s World Cup.
Thomas Partey appeared in a London court last month (Image: Jordan Peck/Getty Images)
Thomas Partey has been named in Ghana’s provisional squad for the World Cup against England. This is despite Mr Partey, 32, still being scheduled to stand trial in the UK.
Four days after the midfielder left Arsenal in July 2025, he was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Two more rape charges were added in February.
Partey, who maintains his innocence, continues to play despite his ongoing court case, making 32 appearances for Spanish club Villarreal this season. The former Arsenal man is currently included in Carlos Queiroz’s 28-man squad for Ghana’s pre-competition friendly against Wales in Cardiff next Tuesday.
If Partey adds 23 to 26 players to Queiroz’s final squad, he will be available to play against England on June 23 in Boston, Massachusetts. The 32-year-old is an important player for Ghana, who have lost all six friendlies since qualifying.
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Mr Partey, who appeared at a court hearing in London last month, was originally due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in November. However, UK High Court judge Mr Justice Bennathan agreed to postpone the trial, which will begin on June 8, 2027.
The trial is expected to last about eight weeks. When the new charges were filed in February, Partey’s lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: “Thomas Partey continues to deny all charges against him.
“He has cooperated fully with police. Given the ongoing legal proceedings, we have no further comment.”
Thomas Partey has signed for Villarreal after being released by Arsenal (Image: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
The alleged violations are said to have taken place between April 2021 and June 2022. Partey was playing for Arsenal at the time, where he remained until his contract expired last summer.
Partey joined the Gunners from Atletico Madrid in September 2020 for £45m. He won the Community Shield during his five years with North London, making a total of 167 appearances.
Other players in Ghana’s provisional squad include Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo, Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams and former Premier League striker Jordan Ayew.
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