Arsenal boosted as Takehiro Tomiyasu returns to training after injury

Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu has been pictured in training for the first time this week and appears to be closing in on his first-team return.

Tomiyasu, 23, has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers since arriving from Bologna last summer, but has been sidelined with a calf problem for the Gunners’ last two matches.

The versatile defender first sustained the injury during Arsenal’s victory at Leeds back in December and has not featured since the club were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool on January 20.

Ben White moved to right-back in Tomiyasu’s absence for Arsenal’s goalless draw with Burnley and Cedric Soares deputised as the north London outfit secured a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Wolves.

With games coming thick and fast, Mikel Arteta will no doubt have breathed a sigh of relief as Tomiyasu stepped up the intensity of his training at London Colney this week.

A video on Arsenal’s official YouTube channel shows the full-back being put through his paces while performing running, passing and shooting drills with strength and conditioning coach Sam Wilson.

It remains to be seen whether or not Arteta will risk Tomiyasu in Arsenal’s London derby clash with Brentford at the Emirates this weekend.

Arteta revealed that he would rather not have played Tomiyasu after the Japanese played through the pain in his most recent match against Liverpool.

Tomiyasu was unable to train heading into the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg defeat and it was his slip that led to Diogo Jota’s opening goal at the Emirates.

‘He was trying to block the ball and he almost had the ball. He’s done incredibly,’ the Arsenal head coach explained.

‘We didn’t want to play him, we had to push him because Cedric and Calum [Chambers] were out and we didn’t have any full backs.