Jurrien Timber, the Dutch defender on loan from Ajax, has returned from a cruciate ligament injury and made a positive impact on Arsenal’s U-21 team. The 22-year-old played 45 minutes in a 2-2 draw against Blackburn and scored a stunning opening goal.
U-21 head coach Mehmet Ali praised Timber’s professionalism and role model behavior, highlighting his strong performance and decision-making during the match. Ali said, “He’s been a real good role model for the younger players and his performance showed that this evening.”
Timber expressed his joy at being back on the pitch and his hopes to rejoin Mikel Arteta’s first team squad before the end of the season. He said, “It’s been eight months, it’s been a long time and it’s hard to put into words how I feel. Just being out there feels amazing, and even now it feels strange. But I feel happy and blessed to be out there and it’s nice to score a goal as well.”
As for his plans to rejoin Arteta’s squad, he added: “I can’t wait, the season is almost finished, we’ve got a few more games left and I hope to be a part of the team for the final few matches. The lads have already been texting me, so it’s going to be fun.”
Arsenal face Chelsea on Tuesday knowing a win would take them three points clear at the top of the table, although with Liverpool and Manchester City holding games in hand.
