Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the condition of defender Takehiro Tomiyasu following what seemed to be an injury he sustained in the recent win against Wolves.
Mikel Arteta provided an update on the fitness of defender Takehiro Tomiyasu following an injury sustained during their recent victory over Wolves.
Tomiyasu had to leave the pitch in the 79th minute, appearing to suffer from a calf issue in the second consecutive match where the Japanese full-back could not complete the full 90 minutes. He was substituted at halftime against Lens in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Arteta has been gradually placing his trust in Tomiyasu, starting him in the last four matches. The manager praised the defender’s reliability in defence, while also noting areas for improvement in attack.
“The first thing is what he offers defensively. He’s tremendously reliable,” Arteta commented. He further elaborated, “Then in attack, he has things that he can develop, certain timings and positioning for his delivery and actions where he can open spaces for others. He’s so willing to learn and do that. Again he’s another player who’s giving another level and I think he still has another level in him.”
Regarding Tomiyasu’s injury, Arteta stated, “They [medical team] have to check him now.
“He was feeling a bit uncomfortable, so we had to take him out. I don’t know [if it was his calf], he felt something, I don’t know if it was fatigue, we decided to change straight away with him, we didn’t want to take any risk.
“Let’s assess how he is.”
Arsenal’s victory over Wolves took them four points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Bukayo Saka’s opener was Arsenal’s 100th of the calendar year, putting them in a select group with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Bayer Leverkusen, who have also scored over 100 goals in 2023.
Saka’s goal was also his 36th in the Premier League for Arsenal, surpassing Cesc Fàbregas’s record. He also joined Mohamed Salah as one of only two players to score or assist in 10 different Premier League games this season.