Arsenal
Arsenal Injury News: Timber back in training for UCL final
Arsenal Injury News: Arsenal have been working tirelessly to protect Jurrien Timber and ensure he is available for Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. According to Metro, the Netherlands international returned to individual training earlier this week before joining his teammates on Wednesday, offering a significant lift to Mikel Arteta’s preparations ahead of the Budapest showdown.
Timber has been absent since mid-March after sustaining a groin injury during the 2-0 win over Everton, sitting out 13 games across all competitions in that period. Arteta later acknowledged that the injury proved more complicated than first expected, yet remained hopeful the 24-year-old would feature again before the season concluded. The former Ajax man has delivered four goals and seven assists across all competitions this season, cementing himself as an indispensable figure in Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.
Arsenal injury news deepens at right-back
Ben White suffered medial ligament damage in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over West Ham earlier this month and is already ruled out of the final entirely. In his continued absence, Cristhian Mosquera deputised in the victory over Burnley, while Martin Zubimendi started at right-back in the final Premier League fixture with Arteta rotating heavily. The defensive options at right-back, therefore, look genuinely thin without Timber.
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Arsenal injury news: Will Arteta start Timber against PSG?
Honestly, this is where things get interesting. Even if Timber is fully fit, Arteta may still find himself uncertain about starting him, given the concern around throwing a player back into a Champions League final after a prolonged absence. That said, Timber has repeatedly proven his quality in high-pressure fixtures throughout his Arsenal career.
Ronald Koeman included Timber in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad, which signals genuine confidence that his recovery is progressing well. For Arteta, that external endorsement must carry some significance. Arsenal currently possess the best defensive record in this season’s Champions League, yet PSG’s attack remains capable of tearing apart any backline in Europe.
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Timber, with his intelligence and positional awareness, represents Arsenal’s strongest answer to that threat on the right side. Starting him feels like the right call, fitness permitting. Missing him entirely is a risk Arteta can ill afford in a final of this magnitude. Arsenal injury news rarely carries this much riding on it.