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Mikel Arteta explains Jurrien Timber's absence from pre-season friendlies
- Jurrien Timber has missed Arsenal's two most recent pre-season outings
- Mikel Arteta confirmed injury after Bayer Leverkusen win
- Timber missed most of debut season with torn ACL
Mikel Arteta told reporters that he nor the club "did not want to take any risks" over Jurrien Timber with the Dutchman missing Arsenal's two most recent pre-season friendlies.
Timber returned from an ACL tear sustained last August in May, making just his second appearance of his debut campaign on the final day of the season. There was hope that the versatile operator would be fit and firing for the summer, and it seemed as if Timber would head into the 2024/25 campaign injury-free after enjoying a stellar start to pre-season.
Timber appeared in Arsenal's opening two games of their tour of the United States, but was left out alongside new signing Riccardo Calafiori in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. No explanation was offered for his absence in Philadelphia, but Arteta eased supporters' fears after he missed Wednesday's 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta explains Jurrien Timber's pre-season absence
Arsenal were excellent upon their Emirates return, but there were a few concerns surrounding Timber given that he also wasn't spotted in training leading up to Wednesday's game.
There were murmurs of an injury pre-match, and Arteta confirmed that the former Ajax star is suffering from some discomfort.
“He had a little discomfort in his foot the last few days. After the time he has been out, we did not want to take any risks," the Spaniard said post-match.
"Jurrien had a bit of discomfort, we are managing Riccardo slowly but hopefully on Sunday he will be able to play"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 8, 2024
Mikel Arteta provides fitness updates on Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori 🔴 pic.twitter.com/7DIkf5FuCx
Niggles are to be expected after such a major injury, and Arsenal are absolutely doing the right thing by playing it safe in pre-season. Assuming he can swiftly return to his pre-injury levels, Timber is set to play a big role for the club in 2024/25 despite Calafiori's arrival. Arteta will hope to hand the Dutchman a few more minutes on Sunday against Lyon ahead of the Premier League opener on 17 August.
As for Calafiori, supporters are having to be patient to catch their first glimpse. The Italian international hasn't been included in the previous two matchday squads after his signing was made official, with Arteta noting that they're "managing him slowly" after his Euro 2024 exploits. The boss hopes he'll be available for Sunday's Emirates Cup clash.
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