Arsenal lost much more than just a Europa League tie, and with it a shot at ultimately winning that trophy this season. The Gunners also lost one of their top full-backs in Takehiro Tomiyasu, who left early with a serious injury to his right knee.
The club was initially very concerned, and they were right to be so, as the 24-year-old Japanese international is now officially done for the season.
“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,” part of a club statement reads. “Tomi has had successful surgery in London on Tuesday and will be ruled out for the remainder of this season.”
The right back wasn’t the only defender that Arsenal lost to injury in that game. William Saliba suffered a back issue in that game and he had to be replaced in the France national team for this week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers. The loss of depth in the back line will no doubt have an adverse effect on the north Londoners’ Premier League title quest.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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