Arsenal have confirmed that defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has successfully undergone surgery on a knee issue and will be out for the rest of the season.
The Japan international has only played six minutes of football for Arsenal this season, coming off the bench in October in a Premier League clash against Southampton.
"Takehiro Tomiyasu has undergone a successful surgery on the right knee issue which he first sustained in pre-season," Arsenal said in a statement on Wednesday.
"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."
Tomiyasu's time at Arsenal has been marked by consistent injury troubles. He missed 13 games due to a calf injury last season and previously underwent knee surgery in the 2022-23 campaign. In all, the Japan international has been out of action for 465 days since joining the club in the summer of 2021.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Tomiyasu said: "I've had a surgery on my knee few days ago and 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."
Arsenal have been hit by a number of significant injuries this season. Gabriel Jesus (knee) and Kai Havertz (hamstring) have both been ruled out for the rest of the season. Bukayo Saka has missed three months with a hamstring injury and is expected to return to action in March