Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu may need to undergo an operation to fix his troublesome knee injury, according to reports.

The Japanese international originally picked up the problem in pre-season and he has only made one brief substitute appearance in all competitions so far this campaign.

That came in the Carabao Cup against Southampton all the way back in October and Tomiyasu has not been named in a matchday squad since then.

At the start of January, manager Mikel Arteta expressed some hope that the defender would be back in action relatively soon.

However, the Daily Mail claim that there is now “pessimism” about the chances of Tomiyasu making a comeback without surgery.

How long could Tomiyasu be out for if he goes under the knife?

It is believed that the 26-year-old would be sidelined for a significant period if doctors opt to do the operation.

Tomiyasu was out for three months the last time he had a similar procedure so it is unlikely that the fullback would play again this season.

Arsenal suffered another injury setback out in Dubai

Multiple sources have revealed that Kai Havertz sustained a hamstring issue during a training session. Arteta’s men are currently at a warm weather training facility in the Middle East, taking advantage of the 10-day gap between fixtures.

Considering the break, you would not expect players to be struck down with injuries but it kind of sums up the team’s luck this season. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli also remain on the sidelines.

The only positive news to come out of Dubai is that Ben White is close to making his return. The defender has been out since November but he could be back for the game against Leicester on Saturday.

Read our exclusive interview with Shaun Wright-Phillips as he talks about Arsenal’s striker dilemma and a potential move for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.