Arsenal Receives Injury Boost as Jurrien Timber Returns, but Two Players Remain Sidelined
Arsenal’s Dutch international full-back, Jurrien Timber, has made a timely return from a minor injury just before the team’s Premier League opener against Wolves.
Timber’s return to full training at London Colney is a significant boost for Arsenal as they prepare for the new season. The Dutch defender had missed Arsenal’s last three pre-season matches against Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lyon due to a minor foot issue. Although the injury was relatively minor, Arsenal took extra precautions, especially since Timber is recovering from an ACL injury that sidelined him for nearly the entire previous season.
Following Arsenal’s pre-season tour in the United States, Timber was given some time off from full team training. After Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Lyon in the Emirates Cup, manager Mikel Arteta shared that Timber’s recovery had gone well.
“He’s fine,” Arteta said regarding Timber’s injury. “He’s been doing some individual work and is now clear to train with the team. He has had no negative reactions, so it’s looking positive.”
Timber is now expected to be available for Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Wolves on Saturday. If selected, it would mark his first start since suffering an ACL injury during last season’s opening match against Nottingham Forest.
However, Arsenal will be without Takehiro Tomiyasu, who is still recovering from a knee injury. The Japanese international had been a standout performer during Arsenal’s pre-season training camp in Marbella but sustained a new injury just before the U.S. tour. Arteta mentioned that Tomiyasu’s recovery will take several weeks.
“Unfortunately, it will take weeks for him to recover,” Arteta said. “It’s tough for Tomi, considering all his efforts, but he’ll need to be patient and work through this.”
Fabio Vieira also missed the Emirates Cup victory over Lyon due to a minor hip injury. The Portuguese international had been a consistent presence on the right wing throughout pre-season but picked up the injury last week.
