News about Takehiro Tomiyasu

ISAAN KHAN IN BERGAMO: Martin Odegaard has sustained 'significant' damage to an ankle ligament which will see him out for a 'while', revealed Mikel Arteta on Wednesday. The development is a major blow for Arsenal ahead of their Premier League showdown against Manchester City this Sunday. It follows injuries to Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney who will all also miss the fixture.

Spurs fans may have felt smug when they saw Arsenal's Martin Odegaard came off with an injured ankle on Norway duty on Tuesday evening. But any uplift in optimism will be dimmed by the news that one of their own flock has picked up an injury.

FPL managers are spoilt for choice when it comes to picking defenders, with a never-ending battle between consistent centre-backs and explosive full-backs.  The premium picks provide the lure of regular clean sheet points and they look hard to ignore in terms of AI predicted points across the opening four gameweeks.  With just three days left until Friday's 6.30pm deadline, Fantasy Football Hub's Holly Shand takes a look at five defenders you should consider for your 15-man squads. 

Shocking footage has shown an Everton supporter appearing to be knocked out in violent clashes with Arsenal fans on Sunday. Videos shared on social media showed supporters fighting following Arsenal's 2-1 win over Everton at the Emirates Stadium. Despite the victory, Arsenal were forced to settle for second place in the Premier League as Man City's 3-1 win over West Ham saw the reigning champions clinch a fourth consecutive title.

ISAAN KHAN AT THE EMIRATES: Arsenal narrowly missed out on the Premier League title despite a 2-1 victory against Everton on the final day of the season. The Gunners headed into the clash against Sean Dyche's side needing to win, while relying on Man City to draw or lose in order to lift the trophy for the first time since 2004. After a nervy start, Arsenal went behind when Idrissa Gana Gueye's free kick was deflected past David Raya by Declan Rice.

MAN UNITED 0-1 ARSENAL - OLIVER HOLT AT OLD TRAFFORD: Gripped by stultifying torpor in the sultry heat of a Sunday afternoon, Arsenal played like a team waiting for a storm to break at Old Trafford and wash away their dreams of winning a first Premier League title for 20 years. Drained of energy and innovation, they courted disaster time after time against one of the weakest Manchester United line-ups that the club has fielded in recent years. The air got heavier and the sense of foreboding, the sense that their challenge would effectively end here, grew with it. And when the heavens finally opened in the dying minutes and thunder rent the air and lightning crackled across the sky and the rain fell in stair-rods, testing that notoriously leaky stadium roof, beating down on it like thousands of angry fists, it presaged not the end of Arsenal's challenge but their deliverance from danger.

ISAAN KHAN: It was that 'little nuisance', as ascribed by Gary Neville, who again jumped and jumped on the touchline in glee. Nicolas Jover had helped architect another significant Arsenal victory in the title race via their trusted weapon - set-pieces. The pathway to three points in a tense north London derby against rivals Tottenham was unlocked on 15 minutes, Bukayo Saka's corner-kick swung into the near post area with Takehiro Tomiyasu ready to head it goalward. The expectation for the cross to land in the mix caused Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to panic. He headed the ball into his own net.

The Brazil international (left), who has emerged as one of the leaders of the Gunners title charge, only signed a new contract in October 2022 - but the club have moved to reward him with fresh terms. The 26-year-old still has over two years left on his deal so there is no urgency to bring a swift resolution to talks with the player fully focused on the team's charge of title climax. But initial discussions have been described as positive and will continue in the coming weeks.

Jackson was looking to close Tomiyasu down after he bypassed Conor Gallagher in the middle of the pitch but ended up clattering into him. 

ISAAN KHAN: Arsenal's Champions League dream came grinding to a disappointing halt on Wednesday night as Joshua Kimmich's header handed Bayern Munich a 3-2 win on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Mikel Arteta's side struggled to create any clear cut chance at the Allianz Arena, with Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz unable to replicate the stellar form they've shown in front of goal this campaign. Mail Sport's ISAAN KHAN takes note of the things you might have missed during the Champions League tie. 

The star pair were potential injury doubts after Saka limped around during the 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa while Odegaard had to come off. Takehiro Tomiyasu starts at left-back, instead of Jakub Kiwior who started the first leg, or Oleksandr Zinchenko who played against Aston Villa.

Arsenal was thumped 4-0 by QPR in a behind-closed doors friendly on Thursday in a bruising loss for several of the club's main stars. Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, and Bukayo Saka, who has since left the team due to illness, are among the Gunners' on England service, while seven others are out of place. Mikel Arteta and Co have just over a week of preparation time ahead of next Sunday's big clash against Manchester City in what might be a title-deciding match at the Etihad.

ISAAN KHAN: Takehiro Tomiyasu has signed a long-term Arsenal deal until 2026, with the option of an additional year if he called on his teammates to'win something' this season. Since joining the Gunners in August 2021 from Serie A side Bologna, the 25-year-old defender has made a name for himself, rising to become a key figure in the squad. So far, the versatile Japanese national, who can play a variety of positions along the backline, has made 73 Arsenal appearances.

When Arsenal asked Ben White for a single word to describe him, they replied, "warrior" was the most popular. 'Any team would like to have a Ben White on the team,' was Gabriel Martinelli's longer verdict. He may not be prone to smiling much, his serious demeanour a foil to others, but the defender's place in this squad is undeniable, as another vital cog of Arsenal's backline has been secured for another four years.

ISAAN KHAN at THE EDUCTION STADIUM: They were already champions before a ball was kicked even. It's strange. Winning is always a priority in sports. 'No time for losers,' the band Queen warns. The agony of losing is raw. It hurts. It lingers. However, Palestine's human sacrifices in recent months made fielding a team here at the Education City Stadium a win in itself.

Despite Arsenal's stumbling title challenge, Mikel Arteta has warned that they will not sign anyone this month. The Gunners lost back-to-back Premier League games for the first time this season due to the holiday break, as they were defeated by West Ham and Fulham. Their poor form has been paired with a long injury list, including Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Thomas Partey, and Jurrien Timber, although Mohammed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are undergoing surgery for both AFCON and the Asian Cup respectively.

Arsenal has started talks about a new deal for Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. In 2021, Tomiyasu joined Bologna's Gunners for £17 million, right at the end of the summer transfer window. He has demonstrated himself to be a consistent presence on the back-line, winning 72 appearances in all competitions.

Despite Bukayo Saka's fifth-minute opener, Arsenal lost their third league game in a row, as Raul Gimenez and Bobby Decordova-Reid both helped a resurgent Fulham to defeat them. Mikel Arteta opted to have his full-backs sit more centrally in the midfield rather than out wide, a decision that Redknapp claims has disapated them. His replacement, Jakub Kiwior and Tomiyasu, had trouble adapting.

Mikel Arteta has begged Arsenal to act quickly in January if the right player emerges as he believes his team is 'are really short.' A slew of names have been attributed to the Gunners ahead of the transfer window. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, and Fabio Vieira are all injured, and Kai Havertz is unable to attend the West Ham match due to suspension.

Both Thomas Partey (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu have not returned to training ahead of Arsenal's match against West Ham on Thursday night, according to manager Mikel Arteta (right). Partey had returned to training and was in contention for his first Premier League appearance since losing 1-0 to Man City on October 8. Arteta has ruled that both players will be ruled out of their home match against the Hammers, where a victory would bring them to the top of the Premier League going into 2024.

Due to a calf strain, Arsenal is expected to be without key defender Takehiro Tomiyasu for the crucial festive fixtures. During Arsenal's victory over Wolves on Saturday, the Japan star limped off and has undergone a series of tests this week. Also, Tomiyasu will be out for at least three weeks, putting him out of the festive holiday season.

SAMI MOKBEL: The Gunners are currently in first place in the Premier League, two points ahead of second-placed Liverpool after 14 matches. Despite suffering a string of injuries to key players in the early weeks of the season, the north London club's promising results have emerged. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White, the most notable defenders, have been plagued by injuries, and are among those whose workloads are being closely monitored to ensure their availability ahead of a tumultuous series of matches.

With the start of a new month, we're getting a little closer to the reopening of the transfer window, as a slew of top-flight clubs looks to gain the upper hand over their rivals in the second half of the season. Manchester United's winter refresher after an uneven campaign so far, as well as the promise of the incoming riches from stakeholder-in-waiting Sir Jim Ratcliffe, seeming to be the most suitable for a winter refresher. Whilst their transfer list may be influenced by the club's desire to promote British talent in the squad in a throwback to Sir Alex Ferguson's glory days, the club hasn't lost interest in a diverse international talent pool.

Tomiyasu's contract is now 18 months, though there is a possibility to extend it by a further 12 months. However, Gunners chiefs want to keep his contract after the versatile defender's stellar start to the season. Tomiyasu's signing of a contract extension marks a drastic change in the club's outlook regarding the player's future. Following Arsenal's near-£200 million investment spree on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, and David Raya, Mail Sport has revealed that Tomiyasu, who is driving attention from Bayern Munich, was one of a list of players to watch during the closing weeks of the summer window.