Mikel Arteta Provides Update on Jurrien Timber's Return
Mikel Arteta has Jurrien Timber back on the horizon – and just in time for a tricky trip that still stings in the memory.
The Arsenal manager confirmed the defender is “close” to a return as the champions head to Sunderland on Saturday evening, with Timber having travelled with the squad for the midweek 1-0 win at Napoli and trained fully in the days since.
Timber has not played a competitive minute for Arsenal since last season’s Champions League final. His absence has stretched across the summer, the restart, and the opening strides of their title defence. Now, finally, the door is opening.
“Let’s see,” Arteta said when asked if the Netherlands international could feature at the Stadium of Light. “We have another training session today. He’s been training with us for a few days. Let’s see.”
For a side determined to set the pace again at the top of the Premier League, it is a significant boost. Arsenal have started like champions: three wins from three, the latest a 2-1 victory over Chelsea that underlined their early authority. The spine looks familiar, the patterns recognisable, the hunger undimmed. Adding Timber back into that mix gives Arteta another high-level option on the right and across the back line.
There was more good news in defence. Ben White, who came off in Naples, has been given the all-clear and is expected to be available. That leaves William Saliba and potentially Cristhian Mosquera as the only likely absentees.
Mosquera has missed the wins over Chelsea and Napoli with a knock, but Arteta painted a positive picture of the youngster’s progress, saying he is doing “really well” even as he accepted the defender could still sit out the weekend.
The bigger emotional lift, though, belongs to Timber. His calm on the ball, his aggression without it, and his ability to step into midfield have long been central to Arteta’s vision for a flexible, suffocating Arsenal. The manager will not rush him, but even the possibility of his inclusion changes the mood around the squad.
Any sense of comfort, however, will be tempered by the memory of what happened at Sunderland last season.
Arsenal arrived there in November on an 11-match winning run and seemed to have completed another comeback after overturning a deficit to lead 2-1. Then came stoppage time. Brian Brobbey struck at the death, the Stadium of Light erupted, and two points slipped away.
Arteta has not forgotten.
“Last year we dropped points there and in the last minute,” he said. “We experienced and learned a lot from that game. Tomorrow we will discuss many things we want to be aware of and where we want to take the game and how to nullify their strengths.”
That is the backdrop to this visit: a perfect start to a title defence, a painful lesson from the same fixture, and the looming return of a defender who has spent months watching from the sidelines.
Arsenal go north looking to stay flawless. Sunderland know they can bruise them. Timber, at last, stands on the edge of the pitch again.
