Arsenal’s summer signing Jurrien Timber sustained an ACL injury back in August but the Dutch centre-back is very close to making a comeback.
The Gunners had paid around £38 million to sign him from Ajax but Timber could play only two matches before picking up the season-ruining injury. He had to undergo surgery to solve the problem and since then, it’s been a long road to recovery for the 22-year-old.
His manager had said back in January that Jurrien Timber is still a long way away from making a comeback but there are suggestions that he could feature in some capacity after the international break.
The defender has been included in the Arsenal squad for Champions League knockout stages which means Mikel Arteta expects him to play a part during the second half of the squad.
Jurrien Timber was expected to be on the sidelines for seven to nine months and if this timeline is still correct then he is going to make a comeback next month.
The 22-year-old is primarily a centre-back but at the start of the season, he slotted in at left-back so it will be interesting to see how Arteta uses him once he returns.
Saliba and Gabriel have done superbly at the heart of defence so the Arsenal manager will have to be really careful before breaking this partnership during the final quarter of the season. Arsenal will expect to challenge Man City and Liverpool for the Premier League title and for that, the least they will need is a stable backline.
Jurrien Timber will use up the rest of the season to get back to full fitness so at best, the Dutch international will be used sparingly as a backup until May. He will then go into the summer to regroup and sync with the rest of the squad.
