Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu returns to Arsenal training ahead of Fulham game
Arsenal have been handed a timely injury boost as Japan international defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has returned to training ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on Sunday.
The Gunners have released photos from their latest training session, and journalist Jeorge Bird has shared one showing the full-back on social media account X (formerly known as Twitter).
Tomiyasu can be seen beside Mohamed Elneny in the background, with Eddie Nketiah and Ben White in front.
The 25-year-old went down holding his calf in the 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month and has missed the last six games across all competitions due to a calf injury.
It remains to be seen whether he will be available for selection tomorrow, but he is expected to feature for Arsenal before heading out on international duty for the AFC Asian Cup next month.
The tournament will be held between 12 January and 10 February, and Japan have been drawn alongside Indonesia, Iraq and Vietnam in Group D, with their opening game coming up against Vietnam on 14 January.
Tomiyasu is a key member of the Samurai Blue and will be looking forward to impressing at the competition as his country looks to win it for the first time since 2011.
The versatile defender has featured in 19 games across all competitions for Arsenal this term, weighing in with a goal and three assists, and he has been a very important member of the squad this term.
The Gunners return to action after tomorrow on 7 January, when they take on Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup at Emirates Stadium, and Tomiyasu could feature in the game if he misses the game against Fulham.
They have lost two Premier League games and drawn another one in his absence, and they have found themselves in fourth place in the table as a result.
His return will come as a timely boost, especially given the struggles of Oleksandr Zinchenko in recent games, but missing him for up to a month due to the Asian Cup could end up being another blow.
