Jurrien Timber set for lengthy spell on the sidelines with knee injury

Arsenal face a nervy wait regarding the status of summer signing Jurrien Timber, who could be out of action for a while with a knee injury.

Timber has quickly adjusted to life in north London after joining the club for an initial £34m from Ajax in July. He starred in pre-season and was named in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI for Arsenal’s opening Premier League game of the 2023/24 season against Nottingham Forest.

However, the defender’s afternoon was cut short after picking up a knee injury during a challenge which warranted a yellow card at the end of the first half. Timber limped back onto the field after undergoing treatment and returned for the second half. Just minutes into the restart, though, the Dutchman collapsed in a heap clutching his knee and was finally forced off.

While Arteta refused to give much away post-match, it’s now looking like Timber could be set for a lengthy period on the sidelines.

Jurrien Timber set for lengthy spell on the sidelines with knee injury

Timber underwent scans on his right knee on Monday, and the latest reports are pretty bleak. James Benge understands that there are fears the defender may have sustained a major knee injury, with more tests upcoming to assess possible damage to his meniscus.

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, meanwhile, adds that Timber could be out of action for months should Arsenal’s initial fears come to pass.

While the severity of Timber’s injury is not yet clear, we can expect the Dutchman to be out of action for the foreseeable future.

On a more positive note, the Gunners are expected to welcome Oleksandr Zinchenko back to the fold ahead of Monday’s game against Crystal Palace. The Ukrainian left-back has been out of action since the end of last season with a calf injury.

Timber’s injury may also force Arteta into a rethink regarding Kieran Tierney’s transfer status, while Jakub Kiwior proved his competence in an inverted left-back role in pre-season. Arteta certainly isn’t short of options, but losing Timber would be a big blow at such an early point in the season.