It seems like an eternity since we saw Jurrien Timber in action. The Dutch defender arrived from Ajax in high spirits, giving the squad the much needed depth it required in defense, especially with the unfortunate losses of William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the business end of last season.
Timber enjoyed a great preseason tour in the United States and even added a new string to his bow, featuring as an inverted left back, due to Oleksandr Zinchenko enforced layoff. Sadly, he suffered an ACL injury on his Arsenal debut and regrettably, the team took his name out of its Champions League registration list in favor of other fit players.
With Lino Sousa, one of the beneficiaries of Timber’s absence leaving the club to join Aston Villa in the winter transfer window, Arsenal has registered Timber on the list, and even though he will not be fit for the double-legged header with FC Porto, the club believes that he can still play a role, should they qualify to the latter stages of the competition.
Arsenal Champions League squad: Ramsdale, Raya, Hillson, Saliba, White, Gabriel, Timber, Kiwior, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, Partey, Odegaard, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Elneny, Havertz, Rice, Saka, Jesus, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Nketiah, Nelson.
B-List: Hein, Ejeheri, Graczyk, Cooper, Rojas, Foran, Jeffcott, Quesada-Thorn, Robinson, Sweet, Walters, C. Ismail, Heaven, Brown, Nichols, Rosiak, Small, Clairmont, Gower, Henry-Francis, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, I. Oulad M’Hand, Dudziak, Ryan, Akolbire, Casey, Copley, Butler-Oyedeji, Cozier-Duberry, Davies, Benjamin, Ferdinand, Forde, Kabia, Kamara, Bascoe-Fisher
Timber is back on grass and is still recuperating and rehabilitating from his knee injury, and I believe that the earliest we can see him in action is sometime in March.
However, I believe that the club will tread with caution and will not want to aggravate his injury, or see him suffer any setback, which has been the recurring theme with a certain Thomas Partey.
I wish Timber the very best and I hope he returns all guns blazing to contribute to the team’s cause as the campaign progresses.
Sayonara.
