Arsenal's international break has arguably begun in the worst possible fashion with confirmation that Takehiro Tomiyasu is out for the remainder of the season.
As soon as the versatile defender limped off less than 10 minutes into the Europa League round of 16, second leg tie against Sporting CP and was subsequently spotted on crutches after the game as well as for the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace three days later, there were concerns with regard to the severity of his knee injury.
It turns out it was extremely serious. On Tuesday afternoon, Arsenal confirmed Tomiyasu had undergone surgery in London and as a result won't be available for selection as Mikel Arteta aims to guide the club to their first Premier League title win in nearly two decades.
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"Following his substitution during last Thursday’s Europa League match, subsequent assessments have confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu sustained a significant injury to his right knee," a statement read. "Tomi has had successful surgery in London on Tuesday and will be ruled out for the remainder of this season.
"Everyone at the club will now be working hard with Tomi, so he can join pre-season training ahead of next season."
As disappointing as the injury setback is, Tomiyasu is choosing to remain upbeat about the entire situation as he took to social media shortly after the announcement to respond to the kind messages he has received from supporters as he begins the long road to recovery.
"Heads up and stay positive," he wrote on Instagram. "I believe that this is the opportunity to be a better person and player. Thank you for your warm message and support. See you soon!!!"
Further proof of how close this Arsenal squad is can be seen in the replies to Tomiyasu's message as Gabriel Jesus, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Marquinhos, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey all got in touch by using a range of emojis to convey their message.
Meanwhile, captain Martin Odegaard uploaded Tomiyasu's post onto his own Instagram Stories with a caption that read: "Stay strong bro" alongside two love hearts and a prayer hands emoji. In addition, Eddie Nketiah did similar by writing: "We are with you bro!" alongside a love heart and a crossed fingers emoji.
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