Takehiro Tomiyasu doubtful for crunch Everton clash

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is a doubt for the Gunners' decisive final game of the season against Everton on Sunday.

The Gunners still have a slim chance of securing Champions League football next term as they currently trail fourth-placed Tottenham by two points. However, they require a big favour from basement-dwellers Norwich, who Spurs face this weekend.

As reported by the Times, the Gunners have been handed an injury blow ahead of their meeting with the Toffees.

Tomiyasu was forced off in the first half of Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on Monday due to a hamstring injury. He is unlikely to shake off this knock in time for Sunday, meaning Cedric Soares is in line to start at right-back.

The injury is the latest blow in what has been, for the most part, a promising first season for Tomiyasu in England.

The Japan international helped Arsenal maintain one of the best defensive records in the Premier League during the first half of the campaign before picking up a calf injury in January that sidelined him for several months.

Alongside Cedric, Rob Holding could also return to the backline. He has served a one-match suspension for picking up two yellows in Arsenal's disastrous north London derby defeat to Tottenham last week.