Journalist Paul Brown says that Arsenal losing Takehiro Tomiyasu for the rest of the season through injury is a 'big blow'.

The Lowdown: Serious injury

As shared by the official website of the Emirates Stadium outfit, Tomiyasu has sustained a significant injury to his right knee that forced him to come off early in their 1-1 draw at home to Sporting in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League last-16 tie.

The right-back had to have surgery in London earlier this week, but has now been ruled out for the rest of the season,

The Latest: 'Big blow'

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown says that losing Tomiyasu for the rest of the campaign is a 'big blow' given his versatility and how much of a consistent performer that he is:

“I think that's quite a big blow. Tomiyasu is an important member of the squad, partly because he can play in more than one position.

“His flexibility when he plays in either makes him an interesting option for Arteta.

“I think he's very reliable, and he always puts a shift in. You can depend on him, but not having him around clearly weakens them.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Losing Tomiyasu is certainly not ideal for Mikel Arteta, especially considering that they have another defensive injury to worry about in William Saliba, who was also forced off against Sporting and subsequently did not play in their 4-1 win against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Japan international is equally as comfortable as a left-back or central defender as well as at right-back, and so his extra versatility has been of use to Arteta throughout a season when there have been other injuries in the squad, as he has made 31 appearances in total for the Gunners over all competitions.

Tomiyasu ranks highly among his team-mates in the top flight for average tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, as his defensive qualities from full-back allow the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli more freedom in the final third, so there is no doubt that his absence could be huge for the North Londoners as they look to chase down the Premier League title.