Mikel Arteta confirms huge injury blow for key Arsenal star

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu will be sidelined for a while after picking up a calf injury.

The Japan international has been a revelation for the Gunners this term and he recently bagged three assists in the space of two games.

Unfortunately, he suffered a setback in the latter of those matches against Wolves and Arteta has now confirmed bad news.

The Gunners boss revealed the blow in the aftermath of the 4-3 win over Luton and acknowledged that he will be out for some time.

Early reports claim that Tomiyasu could miss the festive fixtures and may only return to full training at the beginning of next year.

The north London giants may not have his services in January either, considering Japan's involvement in the AFC Asian Cup.

The Gunners are now fully reliant on Ben White in the right-back spot and need to keep him unscathed for the next few months at least.