At a Glance:
Mikel Arteta on Jurrien Timber’s fitness ahead of West Ham vs Arsenal.
Arteta on Mikel Merino’s fitness.
Timber has missed 15 games through injury this season.
Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham United, Mikel Arteta’s side will be hoping that Jurrien Timber is in contention to play.
Timber was unavailable against Atletico Madrid as well but luckily for the Gunners, Ben White stepped up against Diego Simeone’s side.
However, with four games set to dictate whether the North Londoners win the Premier League and the Champions League this season, the ideal scenario for them would be for the Dutchman to be fit.
Timber has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent players since last season. In his latest press conference, Mikel Arteta was quizzed about the former Ajax defender’s fitness.
Mikel Arteta confirms Jurrien Timber is not fit ahead of West Ham vs Arsenal
Arteta was quizzed about Timber as well as Mikel Merino, who has missed a significant chunk of the ongoing campaign.
Timber has been incredible defensively this season and his presence will especially be important against West Ham due to the threat of Crysencio Summerville on the left-wing.
The bad news for Arsenal fans is that Mikel Arteta has confirmed that alongside Timber, Merino will not be fit to play against the Hammers. Arteta told Football.London: “No chance for them this weekend.”
How many games Jurrien Timber has missed through injury this season
Mikel Arteta will be hoping that White does a job against West Ham on Sunday.
With how experienced the Englishman is coupled with his heroics against Atletico Madrid, the 28-year-old can be relied upon to say the least.
After all, Timber has missed several games through injury for Arsenal this season and as a result, Mikel Arteta must have already set a plan in place about his defensive setup against West Ham.
Jurrien Timber at Arsenal this season Stats
Appearances 43
Starts 37
Games missed through injury 15
The Dutch international has missed as many as 15 games through injury this term.
With White being targeted by Everton and potentially set for an exit this summer, he will have all the motivation in the world to have a solid outing against West Ham.
Srinivas Sadhanand
Srinivas Sadhanand is a writer for Read Arsenal and Read Man City, with over eight years of experience as a sports journalist. He has worked for established companies such as GRV Media, The Economic Times, Urban Pitch and Sportskeeda among several others. From interview athletes to writing detailed tactical pieces and covering the impact streetwear and music in football, he has many strings to his bow as a journalist. Being a lifelong Manchester City fan, he specialises in writing about them and the Premier League in particular. Away from the desk, he loves watching European football, cricket, films, listening to music and exploring new foods.
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