Mikel Arteta provides fresh Takehiro Tomiyasu injury update as Arsenal absence explained

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu missed the 6-0 Premier League win at West Ham United due to a «niggle», Mikel Arteta has confirmed.

The full-back was expected to be named in the Gunners' matchday squad for the trip to the London Stadium after returning from the AFC Asian Cup.

Tomiyasu was part of the Japan team that was knocked out in the quarter-final stage by Iran last Saturday. He returned to north London in the week but was nowhere to be seen against West Ham.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe were all also absent as the injury problems continue to pile up at London Colney. Fortunately, there were no fresh concerns picked up from the win.

Despite being without Tomiyasu and Zinchenko, the Gunners managed to secure their first away clean sheet since November in their biggest-ever Premier League away win.

Following the record-breaking win, Arteta was quizzed on the fitness of Tomiyasu. “Yeah he had a niggle when he came with the national team," he said. «It was not the moment to risk him after how many minutes he played.”

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Arsenal are now not in action until next Saturday when they travel to struggling Burnley. Should Tomiyasu not be passed fit for the trip to Turf Moor, the Champions League last 16 clash with FC Porto could see him make his return.

The versatile defender has appeared just one time in the Gunners’ previous ten Premier League games. A calf problem forced him to miss the majority of December before he came off the bench against Fulham on New Year’s Eve.

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