Ex-Arsenal defender forced out of Japan duty after latest setback as short Ajax stint is halted only 192 minutes into his bid to relaunch his career.
Takehiro Tomiyasu’s luckless run with injuries has continued after the defender was forced to withdraw from Japan’s squad, just as he was beginning to re-establish himself at Ajax.
Since leaving Arsenal last summer, Tomiyasu has been determined to rebuild a career repeatedly disrupted by injury problems. Released by the club with a year left on his contract so he could dedicate himself fully to rehabilitation, the 27-year-old joined Ajax at the end of 2025 looking for a fresh start and a consistent run of games.
Six appearances and 192 minutes later, however, he is back in the treatment room once again.
Tomiyasu started for Ajax in their match against Feyenoord on Sunday but signalled to the bench in discomfort after going down, forcing his substitution in the 73rd minute.
He later posted on Instagram that it was “part of a process”, adding, “Haste makes waste. Do what you need to do.”
It is another dispiriting setback for a player whose professionalism and quiet reliability made him a fan favourite at Arsenal.
The Japanese international was called up by national team coach Hajjime Moriyasu last week, having not featured for his country since 2024, with Japan set to face Scotland in Glasgow on Saturday before taking on England at Wembley next Tuesday.
Tomiyasu’s time at Arsenal ended after a season in which he managed only six minutes of football due to a knee injury. His decision to leave early in order to concentrate on recovery was met with respect in North London, where supporters admired his commitment to doing things properly.
Japan, who have been drawn in Group F with the Netherlands, Tunisia and a European qualifier for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will now have to plan their preparations without him.
For Arsenal supporters who watched Tomiyasu give everything each time he pulled on the shirt, his continued struggles are a reminder of what might have been – a defender of rare intelligence and defensive discipline still fighting, admirably, to get his career fully back on track.
Another former Arsenal man, Oleksandr Zinchenko, is also at Ajax, however he picked up an ACL injury just six minutes into his first start, having previously played 14 minutes from the bench.