Arsenal were handed a scare in their victory over Wolves as defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was withdrawn with a suspected injury.
Mikel Arteta stated after the game that the extent of his fitness was unknown, but he has handed a reassuring update over the 25-year-old.
Tomiyasu has been in excellent form recently, having provided three assists in his last two games, and has stood out across a number of positions in the back line.
He was starting ahead of Ben White, who had recently recovered from injury, and Tomiyasu’s form was so good that no one was surprised when he kept his place over the Englishman.
Mikel Arteta issues Tomiyasu injury update
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Luton, Arteta revealed that Tomiyasu could feature, but a late decision will be made on the defender.
“We assessed him after the game. We took him out for precaution,” he stated.
“We will wait. Whether it’s useful to use him we’ll decide tomorrow.
“He’s a strong boy, hopefully he’ll be fine.”
Should Tomiyasu play against Luton?
Arsenal have tough games against Aston Villa and Liverpool on the horizon, and they will likely need Tomiyasu in both games as a more defensive left-back option than Oleksandr Zinchenko.
With this in mind, even if Tomiyasu is passed fit to play, he should not take part from the start against Luton.
Ben White is back from injury and can slot in as an immediate replacement on the right, for what promises to be a physical game against the Premier League newcomers.
Tomiyasu has struggled with injuries since his arrival in 2021, missing crucial games in both of his seasons so far, and given the lack of defensive depth Arsenal currently have, they cannot afford to lose him for an extended period.
With White, Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior available on the flanks, no unnecessary risks should be taken over Tomiyasu ahead of a demanding schedule.
Arsenal now have three away games in a row coming up, against Luton, Villa and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, before facing Brighton and Liverpool ahead of Christmas, and the last thing Arteta needs right now is another injury to a key player.
Tomiyasu has seen his importance to the team grow in recent weeks, and is in perhaps the best form of his Arsenal career. For him to pick up another injury now would be damaging for both him individually as well as the team as a collective.
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