Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu seems ready Mikel Arteta a fitness boost ahead of Sunday Premier League confrontation against Manchester United.
The Gunners continue to hunt for a first league title in twenty years, but only maximum points will be enough this weekend.
Manchester City will regain top spot if they win at Fulham on Saturday afternoon, meaning Arsenal will have to respond in kind if they want to take a close race into the final week of the season.
Back to full fitness, Tomiyasu has played an increasingly prominent role in recent weeks, taking over from Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko as his manager's first left-back.
However, the Japan international caused some concern yesterday when he was reportedly the only first-team player to miss Tuesday's training.
Tomiyasu is being nursed in the final weeks of the season and is believed to have been training internally to manage his workload.
Alongside Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, Tomiyasu has helped form the English top flight's meanest defensive machine and will be hoping for two more clean sheets between now and the end of the season.
'The two central defenders, Gabi and [William] Saliba, they are so consistent – and so is Ben [White] too,” Tomiyasu said.
'Thanks to them we had a lot of clean sheets. I want to be part of that [defence]. We will also try to keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford.
“It's obviously not going to be an easy game because it's a tough place to play and get three points. But we are confident and we will be there to get three points.
'If we win the title we will be happy. I don't want anything else, we just want the title. There haven't been many opportunities for me to be involved in this title race, so I'm happy to be involved now. If there is an opportunity in front of us, we have to go for it and take it.”
Given his questionable fitness since moving from Bologna three years ago, eyebrows were raised when Tomiyasu was given the chance to sign a new long-term contract in March.
The versatile defender is now confident his injury problems are behind him and he hopes to play a key role in an exciting future under Arteta.
'It was tough for me [being injured] because after we lost in the Asian Cup, I wanted to play,” Tomiyasu said.
'I wanted to play straight away because there were other national team players playing who lost in the Asian Cup.
'But it is what it is. I am available to play now and this is the most important period of the season.
'I'm happy on the pitch and I hope I can help the team. I will give everything for the team and just enjoy this moment.”
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