Arsenal have confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss Arsenal’s matches with Brighton and Southampton as he continues to work his way back to full fitness following a series of calf problems.
Mikel Arteta had sounded optimistic about the Japan international rejoining full training when he faced the media last week but the club have now said that won’t happen for another 11 days at least. The centre-back has only featured just once since Christmas.
The update says: “Takehiro is making progress in his recovery from a muscle injury to his left calf, which he sustained in February. Takehiro had successfully recovered from a muscle injury sustained to his right calf in January. It is hoped Takehiro will be back in full training after the match at Southampton on Saturday, April 16.”
Realistically, we have to assume he’s a doubt for both the Chelsea and Manchester United matches towards the end of the month.
Having limped off in last night’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, there are also doubts over Thomas Partey’s short-term availability. He continues to be monitored by the medical team after ‘aggravating his thigh’.
Finally, the club have revealed that Kieran Tierney requires surgery on his left knee and is likely to miss the remainder of the season. They won’t put a definitive timeline on the left-back’s recovery period until he undergoes the procedure tomorrow.
Not only will the defender miss the final nine games of the Premier League season, he’s also set to miss Scotland’s crunch World Cup play-off with Ukraine which has been pushed back to June.
Best wishes to all three players with their recovery.
Well aren’t we being spoilt with all of this good news.
One word comes to mind: bollox
We are, my friend, paying for not strengthening the squad in January.
I’m glad we didn’t stump up money in desperation. Imagine having players like Isak for £70m and another striker that doesn’t score goals.
The real problem is that our squad players have not played at all and are nowhere near form. Luckily Sambi looked to be in shape, but the others are way off.
No. The real problem is that our second string aren’t up to scratch because they’re simply not good enough. Truth be told, that even goes for some of our first XI. What has ‘stumping up money in desperation’ got to do with strengthening the squad in the mid season window……? If Tavares has another stinker or eight in the coming games and we drop more precious Premiership points because of his mistakes, will you still be consoling yourself that at least we didn’t ‘stump up in desperation’ whilst our Champions League aspirations lay in tatters….? Honestly, some of you on… Read more »
you: “Honestly, some of you on here…….https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f644.svg”
also you: “The real problem is that our second string aren’t up to scratch because they’re simply not good enough. Truth be told, that even goes for some of our first XI.”
see if you can roll your eyes at your own self, chief.
Out second string aren’t good enough – Tavares, Elneny, Mari, Eddie – take your pick.
Some of our first XI also aren’t good enough – Lacazette, Xhaka.
Truth hurt, does it?
https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f644.svg
This is just unbelievable, even for Arsenal. I’m usually a pretty unemotional, balanced guy but I’m thinking right now it’s over. I just don’t have confidence in any system or personnel that can cover effectively for Tomi, Partey and Tierney.
Fuck. What a 24 hours. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Chin up mate.
All isn’t lost yet.
This is Arsenal. It was bound to happen.
Now the backup has to step up
Heh.
Like Tavares did last night?
His recovery matters even more with Tierney gone. If Tomiyasu were fit, it might be worth trying three at the back (including him) with Cedric and Saka (on the right) as the wingbacks. Or move Cedric to the right as a fullback. Without Tomiyasu, I don’t think either of these moves makes sense. Holding in a back three is fine for protecting a lead at the end, but makes it very difficult to play the way we want to from the start. So that leaves Saka or Xhaka as a right fullback. All this assumes Partey can play.
Possibly bring AMN back for full/wing back duties.
When you say right, do you mean left?
Yes. Please don’t follow my directions when you are driving.
maybe we can consider moving Gabriel to the left, no overlapping, with holding in his left Centreback position.
not much change in personnel’s posiitons
I think we showed last year that Xhaka isn’t the answer at LB. For me, we’re going to be forced into a back three. It wouldn’t be the worst solution to see Martinelli up top with Odeegard and ESR supporting the attack, and Xhaka as the CDM. Saka as LWB. Cedric/Tomi at RWB. Gabriel/White/Holding.
This obsession with wasting Saka as a makeshift LB is unbelievable. You guys would rather have Xhaka in midfield than Saka attacking down the right….? Have you not been watching our games prior to last night…..? The best form of defence is attack – and if Arteta is daft enough to employ one of our best chances of goals and goal creation in defence, then top four is finished for yet another season. We can’t afford to screw this up. Finish out of the ECL yet again and the Fab Fours’ agents will be sourcing potential new clubs for their… Read more »
You make it sound like we’re beating teams by 3 or 4 goals. In reality, we’re winning by a single goal. When Xhaka played LB, we lost matches whilst barely scoring. Saka at LWB would keep balance in the team, while allowing him to have an influence on the attacking side of ball. It’s not ideal, but Xhaka at LB is a failed experiment. Why do it again?
Qwalitee response. With no Partey, Xhaka is the senior man in midfield. Saka would be more reliable than both Tavares and Xhaka at LB
‘We had a slim chance of signing Haaland’ 😂
Is that you Ty?
I’m convinced you’re a troll at this point
I’m convinced you haven’t got the first clue what you’re talking about.
Saka at LB?
Tell me, WHERE ARE THE GOALS GOiNG TO COME FROM?
And I’m not Ty. That idiot is probably backing Tavares to become the next Kenny Sansom.
You seem to have forgotten the 19/20 season. Saka played most of his football at LWB/LB. He’s also played LB a lot throughout the England youth setup. He knows what he’s doing there
We still have Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham, West Ham to play. Along with a revived Newcastle away
They’re going to be tough games. We can’t win those games if we ship 2 goals at the back every game
You seem to have forgotten that in season 2021/22 Saka is currently our joint top goal scorer.
Clean sheets are nice.
But to win football matches, you need goals. 😉
Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham, West Ham. All direct top 4 rivals at this stage. Winning those games would be great of course, but let’s be realistic. Chelski and Man Utd have beaten us already this season, Tottenham are in good form.
We’re in pole position for 4th. Not losing these games should be a priority
…..So you need goals, because there is no way on this earth that we are going to keep clean sheets against the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and Spurs with one first choice full back out for the rest of the season and another returning from a long injury lay off – if he returns at all.
Face it mate. Playing Saka at LB doesn’t make sense. End of.
Shit.
Injuries. The ghost in the machine. We are still in mid-rebuild and as a result, good times are still fragile at the club. Arteta’s got to find an alternative to using Xhaka at left back. With Partey likely out for a few matches, our midfield can’t afford to be without Xhaka as well. The Partey injury is a shame. Never convinced by our midfield when Partey’s not there. We don’t have the midfield depth to sustain the push without him. We are back into truly precarious waters…Brighton and Southampton remain critical six points but now we have to handle them… Read more »
Whenever we have a purple patch, you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s going to be a dark, gloomy one proceeding it. We never, ever get the rub of the green with luck.
To be fair knowing us I’m surprised we’ve gone unscathed as long as we have
Five substitutes? We can barely make three at the moment. 😂
Honestly does any club feel otherwise?
The centre back and right back positions are OK.
Cedric has proven a good right back.
The left back area is obviously a concern.
Biggest concern is up front – I have a feeling Arteta is going to rue the opportunity to sign a player in January…
I must say I have got a feeling that Tomiyasu is going to spend more time on the treatment table than on the pitch – he does not inspire confidence..
DARWIN NUNEZ v LIVERPOOL DIPPERS TONIGHT, in case anyone wants to be positive and still think we’ll get CL and buy top talent…👊💥
(Sorry about the caps, bit stressed still…..)
If Tierney is out for us I’m glad he misses Scotland’s playoff too, just what they deserve for playing him back-to-back 90s in two useless friendlies. What a depressing 24 hours. Hope Tavares ups his game quick. I know it’s not his role but he could use some intensive lessons on positioning from the BFG.
As a Scot can I just say I heartily disagree although we still have Andy Robertson as LB.
Shit. 4th seems very unlikely now. Maybe we didn’t get away with that ridiculous winter transfer window after all.
Until Tommy comes back Saka left back.
Where are the goals going to come from?
Martinelli, ESR and Odegaard can’t do it on their own.
Unless you want to give Pepe a run on the right – and there’s more chance of hell freezing over than Arteta sanctioning that.
Saka at LB is pouring our ECL chances down the sink.
Pepe down the right has worked before. He should have been playing more this year anyway.
Martinelli down the middle. ESR on the left. Odegaard central, Pepe on the right. Could work if Saka goes to left wing back.
Once again I agree with you.
But it would only work if Saka was a wing back, allowing him to get forward more than he would in a flat back four.
I just can’t see Arteta switching to three at the back this late in the season.
We didn’t do it last season, we should do it this. Saka on the left back, Pepe in his place
Do you honestly expect Arteta to give Pepe a long run…?
Tavares vs Pepe? He has to choose someone
I’d choose Pepe. All day long.
Arteta, however, will probably choose Tavares – and the guy will probably stink the Emirates out. Brighton must be licking their lips.
yes because he got no better options now
And to think Partey was barely injured at Atletico – sickens me!! After such a poor performance last night this is the worst possible news!
He probably got far more protection from the refs then.
It will all be worth it when he scores the winner vs the spuds to secure top 4
Bring Holding in to partner Gabriel and use Cedric and Ben White as the fullbacks?
Not ideal, but not feeling great about Tavares, and we have enough trouble scoring that I wouldn’t want to move Saka to LB.
Here’s an unpopular opinion, why not play Cedric at the left and Ben white at right? He can’t be as bad as Nuno the other day who in my opinion is more of a winger than a left back.
We still have Holding who can play CB. In possession, we become 3-5-2 and out of possession we become 4-1-4-1..
Top post. 👍🍺
Never been a better time for 4-4-2 against weaker teams.
Hope the younger players aren’t pushed beyond limit. That would be irresponsible.
They are all young enough to do jobs in positions that aren’t their preferred.
Ramsdale;
Sambi White Gabriel Saka;
Pepe Partey Xhaka Martinelli;
ESR, Laca
Sambi at RB?
Got carried away
Partey is injured.
Try and keep up.
He’ll be back quicker than what all your journos have been briefed.
Try and read between the lines.
After Emery outclassed us in the EL semi finals Arteta said .we had a really young team
Average age was 27 though.
These guys say anything trust me. Partey’ll be back.
Oh, we’ve all got to be cryptic decoders to understand your posts?
Righto. 😂👍
Tierney has backup but he is just a bit too green. Partey has backup and plus we have some talented youngsters coming through. All games are important, but our long term production of youth and keeping with that process needs to stay. We will always have weaknesses in the squad until we can get into the champions league. It’s a real shame but throwing money at squad players in January wasn’t the solution. Partey has been targeted for weeks now by opposition. But it has worked to our advantage. Now it is up to Mikel to find another solution. If… Read more »
I think we’ve established he is more of a full-back than a centre-back (as was referenced in the article). Either way, he is still a big miss.
I guess it’s a blessing in disguise that we were eliminated early in the domestic cup competitions and also were not the Europa league or we’d have even more injury issues to deal with given the lack of depth in this squad.
Gotta be a move back to a back 3 (Gabriel, Holding and White). Tavares at LWB (a role I think he’d be more suited to anyway), Cedric at RWB. I’d go with Xhaka, ESR or Odegaard and Lokonga in the middle, and Martinelli and Saka up top. Could, potentially swap ESR and Saka over.