Arsenal manager Arteta offers update on Timber injury

Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber suffered a sad end to his Premier League debut after being forced off with an injury early in the second half.

The Dutch defender was one of Arsenal’s summer recruits after joining from Ajax in a €40.00 million move. He was impressive in pre-season fixtures, giving the Gunners a lot to be excited about in the new season.

Despite having yet another good game against Nottingham Forest, Timber’s debut ended in disappointment, as the defender had to be replaced five minutes after the start of the second half following an injury caused by the Dutchman himself.

Timber appeared to struggle after a first-half tackle for which he earned a yellow card, but was allowed to continue after the half-time break, only to drop to the floor a few minutes after the restart.

The defender was forced to come off with an apparent knee injury and was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu at the 50-minute mark.

Speaking after the game, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta confirmed the injury to Timber, defending the decision to play him despite the first-half injury.

The Spanish gaffer said, “The physio and docs [sic] looked at him and were happy to continue. Straight away in the second, he made a movement, and it felt funny.”

Arteta also noted that the injury would need further investigations before an assessment could be made of Timber’s recovery, saying, “We will have to assess him.”

The Gunners started their 2023/24 campaign with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium, despite the injury to Timber, thanks to goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka.