Jurrien Timber is facing a race against time to be fit for the start of the new season after undergoing groin surgery having withdrawn from the Netherlands squad ahead of the World Cup.
Mikel Arteta’s first-choice right-back first picked up the problem in mid-March and missed almost the entire run-in as Arsenal chased down their first Premier League title in 22 years. He did, however, make himself available for the Champions League final, producing an encouraging 54-minute cameo from the bench in Budapest that suggested he was on the road to recovery.
After linking up with the Netherlands squad, it was ultimately decided he was not fit enough to feature at the World Cup. Instead, the 25-year-old returned to London, where he underwent what is understood to have been a minor procedure before beginning a period of rest and rehabilitation.
Since then, Timber has rejoined his teammates in Marbella, continuing his recovery alongside Arsenal’s strength and conditioning staff. On his return to London Colney, he told the media team: “I’m getting there slowly. I’m trying hard, been rehabbing over the summer, hopefully back soon.”
He has since travelled with the squad ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Girona, but BBC Sport reports he has now flown back to London as part of his rehabilitation programme.
Although he is expected to return to Spain, it appears highly unlikely he will feature this weekend given he has yet to resume training on the grass.
Timber has endured a frustrating battle with various injuries since moving to the Emirates in the summer of 2023. An ACL rupture suffered on his Premier League debut ruled him out for the majority of his first season, while an ankle problem the season before last also required surgery. With Ben White having endured his own injury issues over the last couple of campaigns, Arsenal are understandably reluctant to leave themselves short at right-back.
That need has only increased with William Saliba facing an extended spell on the sidelines because of a back injury. As a result, the club are actively exploring defensive reinforcements capable of operating on the right-hand side.
Interest in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento appears to have cooled in recent weeks. Sporting Lisbon defender Ivan Fresneda, who Arsenal have monitored for more than three years, remains another potential option.
In other news, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes are the next players due back from their holidays, later this week. The former has managed to squeeze in his wedding since Brazil’s World Cup was ended by Norway.
After that, Arteta will be waiting on nine further players to return: Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino. Not much time to prepare for a Premier League opener in just over three weeks.