Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal will be without Takehiro Tomiyasu for several more weeks due to the knee injury picked up at the start of pre-season.
The Japan international picked up the issue days after returning to London Colney following his summer break and was forced to miss the tour of the USA. He’s ended up missing all six of the Gunners friendlies in the last three weeks and the end of his fitness problems aren’t yet in sight.
After Sunday’s 2-0 win over Lyon, Arteta revealed: “I think it will take weeks on that one, unfortunately, and poor Tomi because of everything that he does, but he’s going to have to be patient and work through it because I think it’s going to take a few weeks.”
Tomiyasu has struggled with both knee and calf issues since signing from Bologna in 2021 so it’s clearly concerning for supporters and frustrating for the player that he’s starting the new campaign in the treatment room.
In more positive news, Jurrien Timber should return to training this week having sat out the last three friendlies.
The club’s medics were already conscious of the need to manage the Holland international’s load following last season’s ACL surgery and they’ve taken no risks since the Philadelphia leg of the US tour, giving the 23-year-old time to rest after he reported an issue with his foot.
Arteta said: “It’s fine, he’s been doing some individual work, that’s clear now and we expect him to be ready to train with the group in the next week because he has no reaction. Very positive.”
Arsenal start the 2024/25 season with a home fixture against Wolves next Saturday.
Can’t believe M’Villa was available on a free and we didn’t get him. He’s been doing his medical with us for almost 9 years
Yawnnn…haha
He’s grown so old! You know it’s bad when you can’t tell at first glance which one’s the agent and which one the player. I almost feel protective though. Him and Yann Sommer are like the children we never had.
Did you mean Sebastian Frey, mate?
Tomi has the proper Arsenal DNA! Talented but injury ridden. Wilshire, Rosicky, Diaby, Ramsey, Hleb and the list goes on…
Hleb never had proper injury issues with us tbf, played 40+ games each of his three seasons. His issue of course was that the pre assist never counted for anything statistically…
Haha, yes, I really liked Hleb, but he had the strongest phobia of shooting of any Arsenal player I can recall!
And that’s up against some pretty stiff competition
I mean the list will indeed go on if we can also start naming players like Hleb who didn’t have fitness problems 😆
Carzola. Arteta. RVP. Jesus. Zinchenko. Partey. Injuries en mass….
Frimpong, Vermaelen, Eduardo, Walcott, Welbeck, Oxlade-Chamberlain…
Hleb was reliable
As good as Tomi is, he’s of no use injured all the time. This season has to be his last chance to at least be available
In my view him and Timber are competing for one regular position as second choice RB / CB this season.
Luckily we can manage with him not available for a while with the depth we have (even if Timber isn’t fully fit), but will need him to be available and ready as we get into the heavy Fall schedule with CL matches, league Cups, etc..