Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta provides injury update on Jurrien Timber after defender limps off in draw with Brighton
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on Jurrien Timber after the center-back was substituted following a knock against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 31. The Dutchman has been an integral part of the Gunners backline this season, playing every match so far.
When asked about Jurrien Timber's injury, Arteta described it as a case of cramping. The conversation went like this:
Interviewer: Did Jurrien Timber come off with a problem?
Mikel Arteta: No, he was cramping. He got a kick in the first half and then was cramping so we had to take him off.
Interviewer: So it's not an injury?
Mikel Arteta: I don't think so.
With the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal dropped points for the first time this season. Kai Havertz scored in the first half with an inch-perfect chip above Bart Verbruggen to make it 1-0 for the Gunners at half-time.
Joao Pedro equalized for the visitors in the second half by depositing the ball into the empty net after a fortunate rebound from goalkeeper David Raya. However, the most controversial moment of the match came in the 49th minute when Declan Rice was sent off with a second yellow card for allegedly delaying the game.
Arsenal will face Tottenham Hotspurs in the north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 15.
Arsenal's Jurrien Timber reveals how Mikel Arteta helped him recover from long-term injury
Jurrien Timber was sidelined after he suffered a serious knee injury in his debut game for the Gunners. The Dutchman made his competitive debut for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest but was taken off early in the second half.
Later reports revealed that the Dutchman had injured his ACL which required surgery and several months of rehabilitation. The defender finally made his comeback in the club's last game of the 2023-24 season against Everton, which saw the Gunners finish as runners-up in the Premier League.
In an interview with TNT Sports, Jurrien Timber said (via GOAL):
"Last year when we were here he [Mikel Arteta] was very supportive already. And I have to say during my injury as well. It helps to have such a manager like him. Obviously it is [a big blow getting injured after moving to Arsenal], especially at the start. "
"I have to say, at the same time, I just moved to another club, I moved to Arsenal. You have to look at how lucky you are as well, and that is the way I looked at it last year. I had time to work with some fantastic physios, I had good people around me and my team-mates were great."
The Dutchman will hope to be back for the Gunners as soon as possible and help Mikel Arteta's side one-up Manchester City and finally win the Premier League this season.