Mikel Arteta admits there’s a chance Takehiro Tomiyasu won’t feature again this season after the Japan international picked up a knee injury in Thursday’s Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon.
The Japan international had to be substituted within 10 minutes after slipping on the turf and there’s a fear any ligament damage will require surgery.
After arriving from Bologna, Tomiyasu made himself a first-choice pick at right-back last season but has played second fiddle to Ben White this campaign, making just 14 starts in all competitions.
Speaking after Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, Arteta was asked for an update on the full-back.
“We don’t know, obviously the doctor is assessing him. We’ve had one assessment, they need to have another assessment tomorrow, but it’s not looking good, that’s for sure,” he told his post-game press conference.
“Looking at Tomi, he’s not someone who exaggerates things. He was really concerned straight away, and we are concerned.”
Tomiyasu wasn’t the only player to pick up an injury in midweek. William Saliba also left the field in the first half complaining of a back problem and has subsequently dropped out of the France squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers.
L’Equipe subsequently suggested the defender could miss a few weeks but Arteta is hopeful he’ll be back soon after the Interlull.
“We hope so, and we hope Willy is going to be better news but again we have to wait until tomorrow to understand a better picture,” he said.
Given injuries are part and parcel of top-level football, Arteta says its important that those in reserve are able to step up and fill the void.
Eddie Nketiah did exactly that when Gabriel Jesus underwent knee surgery after the World Cup and Rob Holding, in for Saliba, today proved he too can handle the pressure.
“We have lost players,” said the boss. “We lost Gabby for four months, we lost Thomas for one and a half months, we lost Alex Zinchenko for one and a half months, we lost Elneny for six to eight months, now we lost Eddie and now we lost Tomiyasu and Saliba.
“Everybody has to give more. It’s not a secret, if we want to maintain that level, everyone has to step in, give more and Rob [Holding] is a great example of what we needed today.”
Holding filled in better than I expected! We need 7wins…
Currently, hopefully it will be less!!
Less?
Let’s win every fucking game
We need 9 wins? 8 wins if we beat City as one of them?
He did have a good game given his previous performances but if that rebound of the post went in and Ramsdale didn’t save our ass I am sure there would be no praise for Holding or anyone in defense.
Wasn’t that white that got skinned? Either way, both players had cracking games. Great fucking win!
I must be missing something! Assuming City win all their remaining games, wouldn’t we need 8 wins, provided that one of the two remaining games finished no worse than a draw?
Football doesn’t work like that.
Man City will drop points. My guess is that 7 more wins and a draw should be good enough to take the title. If one of those wins is at the Eithad we may need even fewer points.
But we need to just take on game at a time. All that matters now is Leeds at home.
Oh, fats, you’re talking sense. I know football doesn’t “work like that,” but I’m looking at the guaranteed number in case football does work like that. Which it can.
You’re clearly buzzing. May I refer to you ash Fatso or Fats, not Fatty……Just getting clearance for when the high of this win wears off, and you revert to form. Hope this you lasts longer than a fortnight. Bet you’d lose your mind when we win the damn thing.
Piers works… and it’s his real name.
How dare you!😡
That’s as bad as calling me a… Spurs fan!
Yuk!
Er, that’s exactly how football works! City can hit 94, and if they do, that means we can hit 97 (cos they’ll have beat us), so we actually need to win every game.
As it stands, we have a five point lead over City
We can therefore afford EITHER one defeat to CityOR two draws to other teams, providing we avoid defeat at City.
The way they play and how lucky they get with the refs, etc, it’s not unreasonable to have to base our targets on the assumption that those cunts will win all of their remaining fixtures. They probably won’t, but now is not the time for operating without a safety net.
Another way to say it: of the ten remaining games, we can afford one loss and one draw, but the remaining eight have to be wins? (Fwiw, I do think City will drop a few points between now and May, hopefully to us!)
We can’t afford a draw or Man City could win it on goal difference unless the draw is against City
That (1 loss, 1 draw) will make us tied on points with City… and while our goal difference is improving significantly, City can turn up any time against some other team and bang in 6-8 goals. So I expect them to have the better GD at the end.
We can afford either one loss OR two draws. If we take a point or three against City though, it becomes simpler!
He did fly into that tackle within first ten minutes I think risking a red card if he gets it slightly wrong. There was no need whatsoever, ball was in their half. They went on to hit post. Can only imagine the stick he would have got on here. He’s a liability I’m afraid even though he seems a lovely guy. He did not need to launch into that tackle. Could have cost us big time just as his shocking performance last season against the scum cost us. Still let’s forget that and all say he was fantastic. We are… Read more »
Good coming off bench in last 15/20 minutes to see game out. Given strict instructions to just head the fecking ball away.
Arteta is fantastic, the type of coach any conscientious player would want to play under.
Curious that he didn’t mention Smith Rowe when talking about all the injuries we’ve had this season.
He forgot I guess.
Or Nelson
Holding was top notch today. Always felt he’d be a great player but picked up injuries when he was playing well which curtailed him. Seems a top lad too so well done fella.
Helps playing with pure class around him as opposed to some of the dudes he was used to playing with.
Rob looked really solid and confident today. He’s learned a lot even while not playing regularly. I was so impressed!!
Thanks to Erik Ten Haag for jinxing us by saying we have been able to field the same team continuously. The scummy SOB!
Terrible news about Tomi. He’s been really unlucky with injuries over the last year or so.
I told you that “news” about Saliba was bollocks, didn’t I? My guess is that Arteta wanted to make absolutely sure that Willie didn’t go on international duty. I expect to see him starting against Leeds.
Good we have Leeds at home in the next game, another game I think Holding can probably play well in. It’s when he is up against a Haaland or a Kane that I get slightly worried and prefer our big Willy.
In the FA Cup Final of 2017, he had Diego Costa in his back pocket.
Wound him up a treat as well, in true Benny Blanco style.
Rob Holding is far better than a lot of people give him credit for. If he can add a Premiership to his FA Cup winners medals, that would be brilliant.
100%. Holding can do a job. For him it’s getting the emotional balance and focus correct. Still remember that job he did on that wind up merchant Costa.
Crucial not to lose against our direct rivals Man City. Keep them at arm’s length.
Dont know whether we better recall Cedric from his loan to cover for Ben White
Sorry to say this but I never rated Tomi…sorry for the injury but he is very mediocre player at best.