It is a sad news for Arsenal as one of their best defenders, Jurrien Timber is set to have an operation on his ankle. The Dutch international is understood to have been playing through the pain barrier for the past few months. Arsenal were knocked out in the semi-final stage nearly two weeks ago by Paris Saint-Germain and Timber has not played since then.
The right-back is now set to have a minor procedure to solve the ankle issue he has been having. A time for his recovery is not stated yet as they said it is too early to put a definitive timeline on his return. They however said there is early optimism he will be back ready for pre-season.
Arsenal are heading to the Far East this summer, where they will play matches in Singapore and Hong Kong. Timber has had an excellent season and has been one of Arsenal’s standout performers. The 23-year-old has bounced back from missing the whole of his debut campaign with a knee injury.
Timber has been a regular for Arsenal and, in the Premier League, only five of the Gunners’ outfield players have had more playing time than him. Ben White has started the last two games at right-back in Timber’s absence and is expected to keep his place for Sunday’s trip to Southampton.
Also, another Arsenal star defender William Saliba is also sidelined with an injury. The player was forced off during Sunday’s win over Newcastle with a hamstring issue. Saliba is due to be assessed by Arsenal’s medical staff in the coming days, but they will not take any risks with him if he is not 100 per cent.
