Mikel Arteta confirms Jurrien Timber is weeks away from Arsenal return
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that defender Jurrien Timber remains weeks away from returning to competitive action as the north London club manages a disrupted pre-season.
The 25-year-old Dutchman recently attended the Emirates Stadium to watch his team-mates suffer a narrow 3-2 pre-season defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Despite resuming training on the grass, the versatile full-back is not expected to feature imminently for the Gunners.
“Jurrien is progressing really well. He’s on the pitch, he’s doing quite a lot right now.”
“But he’s still weeks away. I cannot tell you much.”
William Saliba faces extended absence
Arsenal’s defensive concerns have been further compounded by the loss of centre-back William Saliba to a frustrating back issue.
Medical staff have ruled out surgery for the French international, but the club has confirmed he will miss an extended period of the upcoming campaign.
“Wily is in rest mode at the moment.”
“For two weeks he had to do almost nothing, don’t aggravate the injury. It’s going to take some time to heal, we know that.”
International stars make early return
Beyond the treatment room, Arteta is also managing a staggered squad following the summer’s World Cup exploits.
Mandatory three-week rest periods have forced key personnel to report back to training in fragmented groups.
However, dedicated figures like David Raya and Bukayo Saka have already cut their holidays short to rejoin the setup ahead of schedule.
The Spanish goalkeeper even participated in the warm-up routines against Dortmund despite not being named in the matchday squad.
“Bukayo and David were back yesterday, a bit earlier than expected which is great to see.”
The final cohort of international players, featuring a mix of English and Spanish talent, is expected to commence their training programmes immediately.
With the Premier League season commencing in under two weeks, the Arsenal boss remains optimistic about having a fully competitive squad ready for the opening fixtures.