Jurrien Timber has successfully completed his first training session back with Arsenal, aiming to make a comeback for Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
The 24-year-old defender has been sidelined since March 14, when he exited a match against Everton due to a groin injury. This has resulted in a lengthy 70-day absence from competitive play, putting Mikel Arteta in a position where he must assess Timber’s fitness level.
Timber is regarded as one of Arsenal’s top athletes, and although he trained independently until Tuesday, he passed all fitness tests and rejoined the team for collective training on Wednesday without any issues.
Arsenal is currently in need of support at the right-back position, particularly as Ben White’s recent medial ligament injury during their 1-0 victory over West Ham United has ruled him out of the World Cup.
Furthermore, this challenge coincides with the threat posed by Kvicha Kvaratshkelia, who has been in outstanding form lately. Substituting in the centre-back Cristhian Mosquera in that position has been one potential tactical adjustment.
Timber’s return to fitness allows Arteta to consider his deployment, as even a brief appearance of 30 minutes could be impactful.
Additionally, Timber was named in the Netherlands squad for the upcoming World Cup next month.