Takehiro Tomiyasu has been handed a dramatic World Cup lifeline after Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu recalled the former Arsenal defender to the national team for the first time in almost two years.

The 27-year-old’s international future had appeared in doubt after a succession of injuries derailed his career in England and forced him to negotiate an early exit from Arsenal with a year left on his contract. Determined to rebuild his fitness away from the Premier League spotlight, Tomiyasu left London and spent months focusing on rehabilitation before signing for Ajax.

His move to Amsterdam offered a fresh start. Tomiyasu finally returned to competitive action in January, his first appearance since a long layoff that began in October 2024. Although he has yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Ajax, Moriyasu has seen enough to believe the versatile defender can still be a key figure for the Samurai Blue.

Japan face Scotland in Glasgow before meeting England at Wembley in a pair of high-profile friendlies that will serve as crucial auditions ahead of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Moriyasu has also recalled Bayern Munich’s Hiroki Ito, another defender working his way back from injury.

The coach made it clear that both players are being viewed as potential World Cup starters if they can prove their fitness and sharpness in the coming months. He wants them to use the European friendlies to reconnect with the team’s tactical structure and rebuild on-field chemistry after their long absences.

Japan have been drawn in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Tunisia and a yet-to-be-determined European qualifier. Tomiyasu, who has 42 caps and featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, brings experience at the highest level and the ability to play centrally or at full-back.

He joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021 and made 84 appearances in all competitions, earning a reputation as a reliable, tactically intelligent defender before injuries stalled his progress.

Moriyasu’s squad for the March fixtures is stretched, with Takumi Minamino of Monaco and Takefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad both sidelined. Wolfsburg forward Kento Shiogai has been given a first call-up as the coach insists the door remains open for late World Cup contenders.

Japan’s run in Qatar, where they stunned Germany and Spain before losing to Croatia on penalties in the last 16, has raised expectations. Tomiyasu’s recall underlines Moriyasu’s belief that, fully fit, the defender can again be central to Japan’s ambitions on the global stage.