Arsenal right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury which has required surgery.

The Japan international has been limited to just six minutes of football this season, coming on for the closing stages of a routine victory over Southampton in October. Tomiyasu struggled with calf problems throughout last term – an issue which was exacerbated by his involvement in the Asian Cup.

Tomiyasu finished the campaign as Arsenal’s first-choice left-back but was sidelined during the off-season with what The Athletic describe as an issue which “is not straightforward”.

The 26-year-old posted an update on social media which showed him flipping a tentative thumbs-up towards the camera while on crutches. “I’ve had a surgery on my knee few days ago,” he wrote in the caption, “and I’ve already started my rehab to do what I love the most again. It has been the toughest period in my career for sure and it carries on a bit more but I won’t give up.

“Thank you for your support and see you again.”

Arsenal have missed Tomiyasu’s versatile consistency. Fellow right-back Ben White has been sidelined with a knee injury of his own for the past three months, making his first matchday squad since November for Saturday’s victory over Leicester City.

Without White or Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber has been overplayed, forcing midfielder Thomas Partey to awkwardly take up position in the back-four when the Dutchman’s body has demanded a rest.

Summer arrival Riccardo Calafiori has also missed large chunks of the campaign at left-back – another position Tomiyasu would have been able to cover. Without the towering defender, Mikel Arteta has turned to academy midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly to fill in, inadvertently uncovering another gem from Arsenal’s youth system.

This is Tomiyasu’s second knee operation in less than two years after he had his 2022/23 campaign prematurely concluded.

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