Arsenal have received a fresh update on the fitness of defender Jurrien Timber ahead of an important week in the Champions League and Premier League.
Boasting a narrow 1-0 first-leg advantage, the Gunners play host to Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final on Wednesday, before travelling to the Etihad Stadium for a Premier League title showdown with Manchester City on Sunday.
Timber, a key first-team defender for Mikel Arteta’s side, is believed to have been nursing a groin injury that he sustained in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on March 14.
The 24-year-old subsequently pulled out of the Netherlands squad during last month’s international break and has missed Arsenal’s last five games across four different competitions.
Arteta’s side have suffered three defeats in their last four matches without Timber, with an EFL Cup final loss to Manchester City and an FA Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of Southampton followed by a surprise **2-1 home defeat**to Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.
Timber was seen moving freely after watching the Gunners lose to the Cherries at the Emirates Stadium, before providing a brief update on his fitness to reporters in the mixed zone.
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Uncertainty remains over Timber fitness before Sporting, Man City clashes
Asked if he would be available for Sunday’s crucial Premier League title clash with Man City at the Etihad Stadium, Timber replied, as quoted by football.london: "It's recovering, we'll see. I can't say, but I am recovering."
A clear timeline on when Timber could be back in the first-team fold is yet to have been provided by Arteta, but the Gunners boss is likely to deliver a fresh update - albeit a coy one - on the fitness of his squad at a press conference on Tuesday.
In Timber’s absence, Ben White has had a significantly increased workload at right-back and may be tasked with starting in defence once again on Wednesday, while Cristhian Mosquera is an alternative right-back option.
Timber is not the only injury concern for Arsenal ahead of encounters with Sporting and Man City, as captain Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori all missed the defeat to Bournemouth.
Still nursing an unspecified problem, Saka has not played for Arsenal since starting the EFL Cup final defeat at Wembley last month, while Odegaard and Calafiori sustained knocks during last week’s first-leg win over Sporting.
Meanwhile, Mikel Merino has made progress in his recovery from foot surgery, but the Spanish midfielder is not expected to return until the closing stages of the season when he bids to build up his fitness before the 2026 World Cup.