Mikel Arteta reveals why Jurrien Timber was substituted vs PSG

Mikel Arteta provided a positive update on Jurrien Timber's fitness after Arsenal's 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, hinting that the defender's half-time withdrawal on Tuesday night was merely precautionary.

Timber recovered from a torn ACL at the end of his debut season and has shown few signs of rust upon his return. After missing Euro 2024, the Dutchman enjoyed a full pre-season with the Gunners and has been a prominent figure in Arteta's stout backline at the start of 2024/25.

The defender, though, must be carefully managed off the back of a long-term injury, and his early withdrawal following a dominant first-half sparked fears of a possible injury among concerned Gunners supporters.

Mikel Arteta reveals why Jurrien Timber was substituted vs PSG

Arsenal enjoyed themselves in the first half against PSG on Tuesday night as goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka handed the hosts a deserved 2-0 lead. The Gunners were physically superior to their young visitors, and Timber was particularly brilliant up against Bradley Barcola down PSG's left.

His excellent showing was brought to a premature close as Jakub Kiwior replaced him at half-time before the Pole produced a fine second-half showing. After Arsenal's victory was sealed, Arteta assured supporters that Timber's substitution was merely a pre-caution.

“He was unbelievable in the first half but he felt something muscular and he wasn’t certain," the Arsenal boss told reporters post-match. "He’s played more minutes than we would have wanted in the past few weeks and we have to manage him.”

Excluding the Carabao Cup tie against Bolton, Timber has started Arsenal's previous six games, completing 90 minutes in five of these. He has played a lot, but that's because he's really good at football. The first-half on Tuesday was further proof of that.

Ben White's recent absence combined with Takehiro Tomiyasu's rotten injury luck and Timber's brilliance means the Dutch defender has been thrust into a pivotal role at the start of the new season. As the boss alluded to, he's going to have to be carefully managed given the hectic nature of Arsenal's schedule, but there's no reason to believe the minor issue he sustained on Tuesday night will keep him out of action.

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