Arsenal have had a lot to worry about at the World Cup in Qatar…
Back in England, the Gunners top the Premier League standings after an emphatic first half to the 2022/23 campaign and as a result, several of their star players were called up to their respective national teams for the biggest tournament they’ll ever play in.
What’s the latest?
The likes of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Matt Turner and Bukayo Saka have all started games but not everything has gone to plan. In Brazil’s recent outing, Gabriel Jesus was struck with an injury that has ended his time in the Middle East.
However, after this devastating blow, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been handed some encouraging news – according to injury expert Ben Dinnery, Takehiro Tomiyasu should be close to full fitness after his recent setback.
Where will Arsenal end the 22/23 season?
Champions
Top Four
Europa League
“He returned from his own problematic hamstring injury – he is yet to start a game. In his first appearance of the World Cup, he tweaked that hamstring,” he told Premier FPL Injuries YouTube channel.
“We’re hoping – fingers crossed – that he managed to come through last night’s games without any kind of reaction or setback.
“If he can get some good minutes under his belt and come through that unscathed, then that will be a positive for Mikel Arteta for when the domestic season resumes again, because we know he came into that tournament, again, after another heavily disrupted spell on the sidelines.”
Arteta delight
Indeed, the versatile Japan star has struggled for regular minutes this term, featuring in just 770 minutes of action across 17 appearances in the Premier League and Europa League, of which just eight have been starts, via Transfermarkt.
It’s not the first time that the right-back has suffered from injuries as he also missed time during his maiden Gunners season with a calf problem.
However, whenever he has been fit and available, he’s been one of the standout and most consistent performers under the Spaniard; particularly impressing with his ability to play on the right, in the middle and on the left of the backline.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe over the last year, Tomiyasu ranks inside the top 3% for aerial duels won (2.05), the top 10% for interceptions (1.63) and the top 17% for progressive passes (3.98), pass completion (84%) and clearances (2.65) per 90, via FBref.
That level of consistency saw him rank as Arteta’s fifth-best performer in the Premier League last campaign, whilst only two other defenders have a better average WhoScored rating in the Europa League this term.
Once described as a “warrior” by former teammate Mitchell Dijks, this update on Tomiyasu will surely leave Arteta delighted after the worrying news to Jesus. Perhaps the Gunners will be able to return to domestic action with a near fully-fit squad, barring the likely absence of the Brazilian frontman.
AND in other news, Imagine him & Partey: Edu eyes Arsenal raid for the World Cup’s £15m “special talent”…
