Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has admitted his recovery from injury has been “slower than expected” as he continues his race to be fit for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Dutch international has not featured for Arsenal since the 2-0 win over Everton in March after suffering another setback during an already frustrating period physically.
Timber has missed the final stretch of Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning campaign, but there remains cautious hope inside the club that he could still return in time for the European final in Budapest on May 30.
Speaking about his recovery, the defender admitted the process has not moved quite as quickly as initially hoped.
“It’s been a bit slower than expected,” Timber said. “But I’m working really hard to come back.”
The 24-year-old also revealed that the opportunity to play in a Champions League final is helping to drive his recovery process during the closing stages of the season.
“Playing in a Champions League final is a dream,” Timber added. “I’m trying everything, for the World Cup as well. But first the Champions League final.”
Timber’s potential return would hand Mikel Arteta a huge boost ahead of Arsenal’s meeting with the reigning European champions.
The defender has become one of Arsenal’s most reliable one-versus-one defenders and his athleticism could prove especially valuable against PSG’s dangerous frontline led by Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.
Arteta confirmed this week that Timber is still behind teammate Mikel Merino in the recovery process, although the Arsenal manager has not fully ruled him out of the final.
Merino has already returned to partial first-team training after recovering from the foot injury that has sidelined him since January.
“Jurrien, let’s hope he can do the same in the next few days,” Arteta explained. “He’s a bit further behind than Mikel.”
Arsenal have managed to cope impressively despite Timber’s absence, with Cristhian Mosquera and even Declan Rice stepping into unfamiliar defensive roles during the run-in.
However, Timber’s versatility and defensive quality have still been badly missed, especially following Ben White’s season-ending knee injury earlier this month.
The Gunners will head into Sunday’s final Premier League game against Crystal Palace already confirmed as champions after ending their 22-year wait for the title earlier this week.
Attention is now increasingly shifting towards Budapest, where Arsenal are aiming to crown a historic season by winning the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.