Jurrien Timber has been sidelined with a serious knee injury since August and the extent of the 22-year-old defender’s problem has Arsenal thinking ahead of January
Arsenal may have to dip into the transfer market in January for defensive reinforcements,
With Jurrien Timber very unlikely to make a comeback in time to affect the 2023/24 season.
Timber underwent surgery after picking up an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest in August.
The injury came as an untimely cruel blow to the Dutch defender, who was making his Premier League debut following a £38.5million transfer from Ajax in July.
Arsenal manager consider changes in the team after injury updates
The 22-year-old was signed for his versatility across the backline
And offered Mikel Arteta options at center-back and in both full-back positions.
Arsenal have not put a timeframe on his recovery, with the original statement saying the intention was simply to
“ensure he recovers well and is back playing as soon as possible”
And a report from the Netherlands suggests it could be some time before he returns.
ACL injuries are one of the worst injuries a footballer can sustain and, as such,
Dutch outlet AD reports there is little chance Timber is back in time to stake a claim to play at Euro 2024 for his country.
The newspaper believes he could even be sideline until pre-season for the 2024/25 campaign,
With Arsenal keen not to rush him back and risk a recurrence.
Euro 2024 kicks off in Germany on June 14
And Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman will have to name his squad well in advance. Timber has earned 15 caps for his country and started four games at the World Cup last winter.
Arsenal spent over £200m in the transfer window to bring in Timber, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya. The loss of Timber on his first Premier League start came as a major blow to Arteta’s plans for the season and forced the Arsenal manager to adapt.
