Nicolas Pepe can solve Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu problem and create William Saliba chance

The Arsenal team has returned from their warm-weather training camp in the Middle East as preparations begin back at London Colney for the pivotal top-four chasing trip to Wolves on Thursday.

The team were pictured in training with nearly the whole Arsenal squad available to Mikel Arteta after Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey’s suspensions have come to an end.

However, there remains a question mark over Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Japanese international was rushed back to play against Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool, despite carrying an injury. Tomiyasu made it through the game but it quickly became clear his injury had been aggravated and he has not played since.

Mikel Arteta provided an update after the Burnley draw that the 22-year old would not be available for some time.

Speaking in the post-match press conference he said, “Well, Tomiyasu had an injury and we didn’t have anybody to play in that position against Liverpool. He really wanted to push, he tried and he played the 90 minutes, and he felt it again. He will be out for a couple of weeks.”

“He will be out for a few weeks.”

In his stead, Ben White deputised at right-back however there was a clear lack of offensive capacity on this flank and Burnley remained relatively unchallenged despite Bukayo Saka’s best efforts.

With the return of Nicolas Pepe from the AFCON, Mikel Arteta does have further options but could choose to change the system entirely to solve the issues.

Bukayo Saka has featured in wing-back roles, both left and right, in the past and adding Pepe in front of the England international could be a strategy to maximise the attacking potential of the right flank.

Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2020 playing a 3-4-3 system with Pepe in the