Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu is available as Arsenal’s preparations for their match against Brentford have been affected by Storm Eunice.
Strong winds have battered Arsenal’s London Colney training base, and Arteta has confirmed that he had to “adapt” his session.
An XI of players we can’t believe started the opening weekend
“We had to change the session,” Arteta said. “It was too windy to do what we wanted to do. So we had to adapt and do one part inside and the other one outside.
“But we were safe, which was the most important thing, and we managed to do some bits.”
One player to take part in the restructured training was Takehiro Tomiyasu, who could feature against Brentford having missed the previous two games with a calf problem.
“We are all good,” Arteta said on the fitness of his Arsenal squad.
#OnThisDay in 2011…
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— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 16, 2022
“The doubt was Tomiyasu, who has still not been perfect, but he has trained the last few days. So he’s in contention and we can use him. That’s really positive and the rest we are good.
“We know that Gabi is out with the red card that he picked up against Wolves. The rest of the players are OK.”
Arsenal lost their opening match of the season at the Brentford Community Stadium; a defeat that attracted plenty of criticism.
On the 2-0 defeat in August, Arteta said: “We knew the difficulties that we were going to have on the opening game in the league, which is always difficult but with the amount of players out that we had, with the team that we played on the day and with a newly-promoted team who had done exceptionally well, I wasn’t shocked because I knew it was going to be very difficult.
“That has been proven because they have made life really, really difficult for any team that has been playing there regardless of the level of that team. We haven’t been the only ones that has suffered against them, that’s for sure.”
Christian Eriksen could make his debut for the Bees on Saturday. The Denmark international has not played a competitive match since June 12, when he collapsed and in his own words was “gone from this world for five minutes” during a Euro 2020 match with Finland.
Arteta has admitted that it would be “incredible” for Eriksen to return at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
“It would be incredible. I remember where I was when that happened and straight away the reaction that you get, it was awful.
“It’s great news, thanks to the doctors first of all and the medical team that they saved his life probably on the day and I cannot imagine what it meant to his family, but I am sure they will be anxious, but for the football industry, I think it’s great news.
“He’s someone that has done incredibly well in this country, he left a big mark when he left and now he has the opportunity to come back and play.”
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