Mikel Arteta has provided an update on Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of Monday's Premier League clash against Crystal Palace.
The Japan international hasn’t featured since early January due to a calf injury - but the boss was positive ahead of our return to Premier League action next week.
Read the transcript below for the latest on Tomiyasu’s availability, plus an update on Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka:
on Tomiyasu's fitness…
I think it will be close. He’s been training more and more. He has the boys back now, so he will be joining some sessions this week, and let’s see how it is.
on Tomiyasu's recovery and why it’s taken longer than expected…
He had a recurring injury, but in the other calf, which was a strange and difficult to predict. He’s been through a lot in the last two years with all the Covid and the amount of games that he’s played. The transition to a different league with the intensity - it’s completely different. We can find the right reasons and hopefully don’t go through that situation again because especially for him it’s been tough.
on Saka and Ramsdale's fitness…
Bukayo is feeling good, he's training today hopefully, if he is still feeling as he was yesterday and Aaron is a doubt. He's still feeling not great. He hasn't trained yet so we don't know what he will be able to do on Monday.
on Ramsdale's injury…
He wanted to play against Aston Villa but it was a significant injury and he had to take his time. The physios are doing everything they can to make him available but we will see in the next few days when he starts to do more real training.
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