Jurrien Timber, the Dutch international defender, has made an impressive return to action for Arsenal’s Under-21s after an eight-month absence due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Timber, who sustained the injury on his Premier League debut in August 2022, has undergone an extensive rehabilitation process and has been training with the first team for several weeks. He was given the green light to play for the youth team against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Monday.
The 22-year-old started as the Under-21s’ left-back and made an immediate impact, scoring a magnificent goal just eight minutes into the match. He opened up his body on the left-hand side of the box and curled in a beautiful strike to open the scoring.
Timber completed 45 minutes of the 2-2 draw in Premier League 2 and could potentially make his senior comeback in Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking to Arsenal’s media channels after his successful return, Timber admitted that it felt surreal to mark his return with a wonder strike. He expressed his gratitude for being back on the pitch after his challenging recovery process.
Timber’s versatility and impressive performances across the backline for Ajax have led to speculation that he could become Arsenal’s first-choice left-back for the 2024-25 season. The club has struggled for consistency in this position with Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Takehiro Tomiyasu has also played there but has been injury-prone.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is not yet sure if Timber will be fit enough to play in the North London derby this weekend, but he expects the Dutchman to make at least one more senior appearance before the end of the season. Timber expressed his eagerness to contribute to the team’s push for their first Premier League title in 20 years.
Despite participating in Under-21s action on Monday, Timber will not be involved in Tuesday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea. A win against Chelsea will extend Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to three points over Liverpool and four points over Manchester City.
