Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has been left out of the Netherlands’ 23-man squad for the Nations League opener against Germany tonight.
The Dutchman was nursing a nagging groin issue throughout the summer, and he only made his first appearance for the Gunners this season against Sunderland.
Timber came on as a half-time substitute for the injured Ben White at right-back, and subsequently started the Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on the road.
The 25-year-old played only an hour against the Seagulls, and he is now poised to miss the Netherlands’ Nations League opener against Germany in Amsterdam, according to NU.
The Dutch outlet reveal that the versatile defender did not train on Monday or Tuesday at the training camp and therefore, it is no surprise that he has not made the 23-man squad.
Timber has just recovered from a groin problem and is being handled with extra caution. Alongside him, Kenneth Taylor and Gjivai Zechiel will watch the Germany game from the stands.
Timber could get limited game time with the Netherlands
The £34 million signing has been a key player for the Gunners over the past two years. His heavy workload ultimately contributed to his groin issues in the back end of last season.
Ben White’s injury record has not helped his cause. The Englishman started the campaign as the undisputed right-back, but picked up a groin concern of his own at Sunderland.
This has paved the way for Timber to return to competitive action, slightly earlier than expected.
He is currently with the national side, but it has been reported that Xavi Hernandez’s staff have been in contact with Arsenal. That may be why he was absent from team training earlier this week.
The Netherlands have four Nations League matches during the international break. We believe Timber may not feature in more than two of those. He could play for an hour in both matches.
Timber has played as a right centre-back for his country, unlike at Arsenal, where he is a right-back. His workload should be comparatively less, given he won’t be making regular overlapping runs.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com