Injury-plagued Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could be out UNTIL 2026 despite surgery amid fears over knee problem

Tomiyasu has suffered repeated knee injuries in recent seasons, spending much of last campaign out of action before picking up another issue during Arsenal's pre-season tour of the United States last summer. Despite reappearing in the first team in October, the injury flared up again and the Japan international has faced an extended period on the sidelines. Now, he's not expected to return until next season.

The Arsenal defender joined the club in 2021 but has made just 65 Premier League appearances for due to frequent injury and fitness concerns, as well as stiff competition from fellow right-back Benjamin White. Tomiyasu only recently returned from a long injury absence but was soon forced back onto the treatment table and now faces a long rehabilitation programme. The Mirrorreport that he might not be seen back in action until next year as the problem was worse than first feared.

An official club statement read: “Takehiro Tomiyasu has undergone a successful surgery on the right knee issue which he first sustained in pre-season. Despite an initial surgical procedure in August, followed by a return to full training, and featuring as a substitute in our home Premier League match against Southampton in October, Tomi continued to have issues with his knee, resulting in a further corrective surgical procedure. Tomi will now begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, which is expected to be completed towards the end of this year."

This latest news will be a huge blow for the 26-year-old defender. In an emotional post on Instagram, he detailed what the next few months will entail, writing: "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.”