Arsenal have confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu has had surgery on the “significant” knee injury he picked up during last week’s Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon and will miss the remainder of the season.
The Japan international slipped on the turf in the early stages, seemed to jar his right knee and had to be substituted after just nine minutes before leaving Emirates Stadium on crutches.
Tomiyasu hasn’t had much luck with injuries since arriving from Bologna in the summer of 2021. After an impressive start to life in London, the full-back was hampered by a calf issue for four months last season and missed a big chunk of the run-in. Now he’s facing another long spell on the sidelines.
In November, he also limped out of the Europa League group stage clash with Zurich with a hamstring problem that hampered his preparations for the World Cup.
While Tomiyasu did feature for his country in Qatar, he played just 76 minutes of the group stages before completing the full 120 minutes of Japan’s penalty shootout defeat to Croatia.
Having loaned Cedric Soares and Ainsley Maitland-Niles to Fulham and Southampton, the Gunners are now relying on Ben White to stay fit for the remaining 10 games of the season. Academy prospect Reuell Walters, who earned his first senior call-up for Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace, is a fallback option.
We wish Tomi all the best with his recovery. It’s hoped he’ll be back in time for pre-season in July.
Wow! We hope there’s cheering news from Saliba… leaving the Europa League may turn out to be the best thing ever….
If you weren’t sure of the benefits of getting knocked out at the time, the subsequent draw and injuries bring it into clarity. It might not be enough to get us over the line, but it’ll give us the best possible chance.
Get well soon Bosu!
Interlull hypothetical:
Let’s say White gets injured (pray to all the gods he doesn’t). Who do you play at RB?
Reuell Walters
We did see Partey shifting out there when Jorginho came in so that might be the way forward for Arteta. For me maybe Reiss? Think he and Saka could have a good partnership down the right hand side. Or perhaps play back three Saliba-Holding-Gabriel and well, Partey and Zinny in front. Who would you play?
Reiss? Hmmm…interesting shout!
No way in hell would I play Partey there. I’m very pleased when I see Partey in midfield and Jorgs on the bench – very very pleased – the gap in class between the two is very large.
Maybe you could play Zinchenko right and Tierney left. But it would upset the balance a bit.
The only other alternative would be Holding at RB. It would be more conservative, but probably the safest and least impact on structure.
I’m all ready to go. Waiting by the phone for the call.
haha yeah you and B would dominate that right hand side
I literally just called and you didn’t pick up
Ahhhhh, ringer off!!!
Either Tierney or Zinchenko. We really need to get KT on the field and why couldn’t he be great at RB? He’s almost like an inverted wingback the way we play.
I seem to remember the Scottish manager played KT at right back when deciding how to get him and Andy Robertson in the same side.
Not sure how successful it was as he ended up making KT a cb in a back 3 but it’s not completely alien of him to do it….
Only issue with Tierney on the right is both he and Saka would want to cut in on their left foot. That’s not great.
Good point. I do think that it could work well. KT would still be a top defender, but he couldn’t duplicate the understanding between White and Saka, though he found the latter for an assist Sunday. It would be a different dynamic, and Arteta would have to make the most of it. I guess it would be the same thing with Zinchenko at RB and KT on the left. Still, who else is going to be better?
That’s not the only issue, in fact I’m not sure if that’s even a big issue compared to the fact that as a right back the vast majority of the passes you make are with your right foot, unless you pass backwards, which would then mean a) he’d be mostly passing with his weaker foot and b) he’d feel more inclined to pass backwards I think you really want a right footed or two footed player in that position and one that has experience being part of a back line. So best suggestion imo is to move Saliba there and… Read more »
Sorry Holding rather than Kiwior. But again, this is pretty much an “all options kind of suck” scenario
Like having Arjen Robben and Messi coming at the opposition left back at once in one move? We are winning every game 100-0
Could always play Saka RB with Reiss, Jesus or Trossard in front. Given Saka played LB I’m sure he can play RB
I’d play Zinchenko at RB & Tierney at LB. The way Zinchenko plays, as a roaming playmaker, it doesn’t matter as much which side he starts from. Plus there are more right-footed left wingers than left-footed right wingers for him to go against.
Since he isn’t in the England team hopefully that’s unlikely.
Looks like Partey is the manager’s pick. He can probably cover any of the defensive positions if push comes to shove.
I see Haaland is “injured”, that’s convenient for him
Not an ideal option but if Ben White gets injured we can always play with 3 Center Backs as plan B or plan C. With Saka and Martinelli on the wings. Let’s hope we don’t get to that scenario.
Now you got me excited. Jesus, Partey, Xhaka, Trossard, and Odegaard with those wingbacks would be lethal, and we’d have a CB free sometimes during a sustained attack to join in.
I might consider Rob Holding. Or Saliba at RB and Holding slots in at RCB.
Arteta’s right back is sort of a third CB in many ways. So I think a CB would be more suited to filling in that role than someone like Tierney.
Yeah, this is probably my choice. White isn’t the most attacking RB, and playing holding there would probably be the most like-for-like (even though it would be a downgrade).
Partey is a HARD HARD no (Jorgs is too big of a step down in DM talent – he’s too slow and prone to counters to be any solution at #6, and Partey is SO integral at the #6 to what we do).
I don’t think Holding could play that position well enough, and Saliba is way more valuable in the center. And Tierney can play CB. But Mikel will figure it all out if it happens, which I trust it won’t.
Partey is a good option, will do well as an inverted fullback and can defend. Him, Jorginho and Zini will be playing ahead saliba and Gabriel.
Sounds like a very solid midfield
Is an emergency loan for AMN allowed?
Given the system and trying to move as few other pieces around…what about ESR? With the ball, he’s closer to White or Tomi than Holding or Nelson. Not known for defensive work, but has an engine, works hard, and a good frame. Not sure I love the shout, but struck me as a (potentially wild) option.
We don’t have El games anymore and White has a good fitness record, I’m sure he can manage all the remaining games.
Fok meit.
see you next season, tomi
Another LANS, like Balogun when we bring him back. Our Japanese international should be with us a long time. He’ll get lots of important minutes in ECL, the cups, and the league.
Get well soon, Tomi
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Tomiyasu. Best wishes 🙏🏾
We have to cover Ben White in bubble wrap.
Jakob KIwior could be an option in an emergency, but Ben should be fine with one game a week, bar City away, for the remainder of the season.
10 games to for Benny Blanco! Let’s hope Saliba recovers soon to ease the injury front somewhat. Walters could get minutes towards the latter part of games perhaps if we’re already in a comfortable position to further rest White.
Let’s hope we don’t have to play the fallback at fullback
Pleased it was surgery on the injured knee, and not the one that’s OK.
Hope he’s back and we’ll ASAP
Good news indeed on that front
Ah, it’s no injuries Arsenal again! (c) ETH
No point worrying about ‘ifs’ in terms of Ben White now we’re out of Europe, he should be able to do 10 games especially with a couple of weeks off now.
The immediate issue is Tomi has been so useful as an option in both full back positions to finish tight games this season and we’ve lost that.
It’s all Ten Hag’s fault. Baldy fucker..
See you next season, Tomi. We’ll need you for the title defence and our return to the European Big stage.
Tomi 💔. We will miss you big time for the run in. Get well soon bro and come back stronger for next season.
Get better soon Tomi. Been a tough season for him with a lot of injuries. Here’s hoping he has more luck next season because when he’s fully fit he’s a great right back.