Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted it’s unclear whether Takehiro Tomiyasu will be available to play against Liverpool as he ramps up his return from injury.
Tomiyasu, a £17million deadline day signing from Bologna in August, has impressed in his first Premier League campaign.
A very solid defender who is more than capable on either foot, Tomiyasu has supported attacks well without being a typical ‘modern-day’ full back.
Tomiyasu’s defensive ability has really helped Arsenal at the back but he has endured a very frustrating 2022 so far.
The Japanese ace suffered an injury in January and whilst he managed to play against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in January, he hasn’t been seen since.
Tomiyasu hasn’t played a single minute of Premier League action since the New Year’s Day clash against City, leaving Arteta and Arsenal fans a little frustrated.
Cedric Soares has deputised well at right back, but Arsenal would absolutely rather have Tomiyasu back and firing for the run-in.
Tomiyasu did manage to make the bench against Brentford in February, but that’s as close as he has got to a first-team return.
Arsenal face a huge game on Wednesday night as they welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium, and it’s unclear whether Tomiyasu will be available.
Arsenal boss Arteta has now spoken to the club’s official website ahead of the game, indicating that Arsenal are trying to push Tomiyasu in his comeback.
Arteta doesn’t know whether Tomiyasu will be able to face Liverpool though, believing it depends on how the 23-year-old trained today.
“Tomi is the only one that’s still there in contention [to miss the game]” said Arteta. “We have been trying to push him, but with the handbrake a little bit because we need to be careful as we don’t want to get another injury with him. We don’t know [if tomorrow is too soon]. Let’s see how he trains today,” he added.
We would therefore anticipate Cedric starting the game with Tomiyasu maybe on the bench, as it just sounds too risky to throw him into a starting role in one of the most intense games of the season.
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