"We assessed him after the game" - Mikel Arteta provides update on key player's fitness ahead of Arsenal vs Luton Town

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has refused to provide a definitive answer on right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu's injury status.

The Gunners will visit Kenilworth Road for a Premier League fixture against Luton Town on Tuesday, December 5. Arteta's men will enter this game on the back of a 2-1 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 2.

In the second half of that game, Tomiyasu went down injured and was substituted in the 79th minute, with Ben White taking his place. The Japanese defender had enjoyed a good game until then, recording a key pass, an interception and five tackles. He also completed 61 passes (91% accuracy) and won six of his 10 duels.

In his press conference ahead of the fixture against Luton, Arteta was asked for an update on Tomiyasu. The Arsenal boss stated that the right-back's substitution against Wolves was precautionary, adding that he will be assessed before the game on Tuesday. He said (as quoted by football.london):

"We assessed him after the game. We took him out for precaution. We will wait. Whether it’s useful to use him, we’ll decided tomorrow. He’s a strong boy, hopefully he’ll be fine."

Arsenal's latest victory, their fifth in a row across competitions, took them to 33 points after 14 matches, the best record in the Premier League. They are followed by Liverpool (31 points), Manchester City (30) and Aston Villa (29).

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Takehiro Tomiyasu has had multiple injury concerns since joining Arsenal

Arsenal signed Takehiro Tomiyasu from Serie A side Bologna in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of €23 million. While he was expected to be a regular presence in their starting line-up, injuries have led to him missing several games already.

Tomiyasu made only 21 Premier League appearances in his debut season, with a calf injury midway through the campaign leading to a prolonged absence. He managed the same number of league outings last season as well, missing more than two months at the end of the term after undergoing knee surgery.

The 25-year-old did, however, play all eight of their UEFA Europa League matches last season. He also featured in both of their FA Cup matches.

Tomiyasu has notably gotten off to a much better start in the ongoing campaign, already racking up 12 Premier League appearances. He has also played in all five of Arsenal's UEFA Champions League group-stage matches, as well as both of their Carabao Cup ties.