Mikel Arteta confirms Takehiro Tomiyasu problem (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta confirmed during Friday’s press conference that Arsenal will be without Takehiro Tomiyasu for some time as the defender has suffered an injury setback just returning to action.
The Japanese star injured his knee during the pre-season and was forced to do so miss most of the early part of the 2024/25 campaign before returning to action for Arsenal against Southampton before the international break.
The 25-year-old played just six minutes against the Saints, but it was a major milestone on his road to recovery.
Having taken this positive step, Mikel Arteta told the media during his press conference on Friday that Tomiyasu will be out for a while after suffering another setback.
“We don’t know (how long he will be out),” the Gunners boss said via the standard. “Hopefully it won’t be a long period, but we have to see when he comes back how he reacts to the load and also to the impact on the pitch.
“But we really need him, he’s been amazing, his work rate, the amount of hours he’s put in to come back.
“He did it and he was in great shape, and now he’s got something else back. But we’re all behind him. He needs our support and we hope he’s OK.”
Takehiro Tomiyasu plays a key role at Arsenal
This is a blow for Arsenal who have just regained Tomiyasu and the The Japanese star’s role in Arteta’s team cannot be understated.
The Gunners pride themselves on their excellent defense and while the 25-year-old is not a starter, he can play in all positions across a back four – a very useful option for Arteta over a long season .
Tomiyasu featured 30 times for Arsenal last season in various roles and supporters of the north London club will be hoping to see him again soon.
