Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has stepped up the intensity in training as he bids to make an eagerly-awaited comeback against Brentford on Saturday.
The versatile Japanese international has proved a big hit with the Gunners since joining from Serie A side Bologna in a £19.8million deal on transfer deadline day last summer, becoming a key fixture at right-back and impressing in his 17 appearances under Mikel Arteta to date.
However, Tomiyasu has not played since the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg defeat by Liverpool on January 20 after initially trying to play through a lingering calf problem originally suffered at Leeds in December.
The 23-year-old has subsequently missed the goalless Premier League draw with Burnley and Thursday's hard-fought win at Wolves, while he also sat out Japan's recent World Cup qualifiers against China and Saudi Arabia.
However, there are hopes that Tomiyasu will return to contention this weekend when Arsenal seek revenge on London rivals Brentford - to whom they lost on the opening day of the season - with a top-flight clash at the Emirates.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴...
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 15, 2022
■■■■■■■□□□□
📺 Tune into our Tomiyasu training special now 👇
The player was filmed stepping up his return to fitness at London Colney on Tuesday morning, being put through his sprinting paces by Arsenal's strength and conditioning coach Sam Wilson.
Arteta will definitely be without the services of Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli against Brentford after his sending off at Molineux last week, while former Tottenham star Christian Eriksen is closing in on his Bees debut after featuring for an hour in Brentford's behind-closed-doors friendly against Southend on Monday.
