Mikel Arteta could have a trick or two up his sleeve ahead of the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night, when Arsenal face PSG in Budapest
08:00, 28 May 2026
Jurrien Timber could still return for Arsenal ahead of the UEFA Champions League final
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Jurrien Timber could still return for Arsenal ahead of the UEFA Champions League final(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Martin Keown has suggested that Jurrien Timber could be 'the one player in world football' who can stop Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Arsenal defender is in a race against time to rebuild his fitness ahead of the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night, when Mikel Arteta's side lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain.
Timber suffered a groin injury during the Gunners' win over Everton back in March, and he's missed each of the last 14 games across all competitions. Despite fears that the Netherlands international could miss the showpiece event at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, he remains optimistic of featuring in some capacity.
Last week, when quizzed on the prospect of facing the French giants, Timber, who has been named Ronald Koeman's squad ahead of the World Cup this summer, said: "Hopefully, yes. There's hope, but like I said, we'll see.
"I'm working really hard, I'm trying really hard, and obviously playing in the Champions League final is a dream. So I will give everything, and with the World Cup as well, but obviously, first the Champions League final. It's going to be amazing anyway."
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If Timber can pass a late fitness test, Keown reckons he could keep Kvaratskhelia at bay. In an interview with football.london ahead of the Champions League final, which will be broadcast exclusively on TNT Sports and discovery+, the Arsenal legend said: "We have this really unique situation.
"I watched his tussle with Kvaratskhelia last season. I thought he had quite a titanic battle, didn't he, with Timber, Kvaratskhelia? He's maybe the one player in world football who can handle him, so I think it's because of that he's been given a bit more time.
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"Ordinarily, somebody who's been out that long, you'd say, ‘okay, it's too late’, because he hasn't played for 14 games. But he's quite a unique player. His mobility and the way that he's able to pinch the ball, and he's very aggressive and very much a contact defender."
Keown added: "Their two wingers are really aggressive, the way they take a game to you, and you have to be able to match that. So those match-ups are really interesting."
Although Cristhian Mosquera is a centre-half on paper, he's often featured at right-back for Arsenal this season. Keown reckons the 21-year-old defender, whom the Gunners signed from Valencia for just £13m last summer, has a point to prove.
Cristhian Mosquera embraces Jurrien Timber as he comes on to replace him as a substitute during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium.
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Jurrien Timber was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera during the first half of Arsenal's clash against Everton back in March(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire.)
"Mosquera, it’s unfortunate that he doesn't play, but he can offer up a lot," said the TNT Sports and HBO Max pundit. "He's got a big point to prove. He's got wheels, he's quick, and he's aggressive.
"He just has to get that balance right early on. What's in the referee's head? Is he going to book someone early on? These are all kinds of things that would be in my mind early on. Do I want to be aggressive?
"Usually in my day, you could make one or two early tackles if the referee lets them go, but maybe now it's not the case. It's challenging, but we're saying we're going to give Timber a bit more time because these are special circumstances and he's a special player.
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"So, we give him more time. It might be that they roll him out, but we'd be fortunate to see him play longer than an hour if we see him at all. So, the manager has to make the right plan for that right outside."
Martin Keown was speaking ahead of the UEFA Champions League final, when he will be part of the coverage exclusively live on TNT Sports and HBO Max this Saturday, May 31.
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