Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu has been withdrawn from the Japanese national team due to injury and could be a doubt for today’s match against Burnley.
According to Japanese publication Sakanowa and Japan Times reporter Dan Orlowitz, the 23-year-old defender will not feature for Japan in their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against China and Saudi Arabia.
Tomiyasu has only just returned to the Arsenal team from injury and looked unfit in the Gunners’ 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Thursday in the League Cup. Mikel Arteta has even admitted since that he didn’t want to start the defender that night.
The Arsenal boss said via the Daily Mail: “We didn’t want to play him, we had to push him because Cedric and Callum were out and we didn’t have any full backs. He didn’t have any training sessions with us, and still was willing to play and to compete.”
With Japan withdrawing Tomiyasu from their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the move could be a hint that the former Bologna star might miss today’s massive Premier League fixture against Burnley.
The Gunners are yet to win in 2022 and must simply win if they are to keep up the pace with Manchester United and Tottenham, who both recently secured very late wins in the Premier League.
Tomiyasu injury for Burnley game could be huge blow for Arsenal
Since arriving on deadline day in the summer, Tomiyasu has established himself as not one of Arsenal’s best signings in the window, but one of the best right-backs in the Premier League this campaign.
The defender has been a revelation for the Gunners. And Tomiyasu’s potential absence today against Burnley will be a blow for Arsenal, who will no doubt miss his physicality and aerial presence against the Clarets.
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