Mikel Arteta stated that Jurrien Timber is ready to return to the field this week, after 8 months of absence due to an ACL injury.

Arsenal secured a much-needed victory against Wolves to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League table. Prior to this, they suffered two consecutive defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, but bounced back strongly with an impressive performance at Molineux.

This win has propelled Arsenal to 74 points after 33 matches, leading the standings, tied with Liverpool but ahead on goal difference. Despite concerns about fatigue, Arteta made only 3 changes to the starting lineup against Wolves, with Jakub Kiwi replacing Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was injured in the match against Bayern.

Jurrien Timber is the final injury concern yet to return to the field in the Arsenal lineup.

Fortunately, the Japanese defender suffered only a minor injury and will still be fit to play in the rescheduled match of Matchday 29 of the 2023/2024 Premier League season this week.

Arsenal has been fortunate with recent injury concerns, with only Jurrien Timber remaining in the treatment room, but the awaited good news that all Gooners have been longing for has finally arrived.

The Dutch international has returned to training with the team over the past few weeks. Coach Arteta confirmed that the timing of his return to play has been decided. This is a significant addition to the Arsenal lineup as they prepare to face tough matches in the final stretch of the season.

“Timber will participate in a match with the U21 team [against Blackburn] first, and then we will have a clearer picture of his situation, his feel for the game,” Arteta revealed in a press conference last Friday.

“He has looked very good in training sessions, but the most important step is still ahead. We need to ensure that Timber is fully ready before returning to the field.”

After Arteta announced the news, Timber expressed great excitement about his return to play. The versatile defender shared a message on Instagram, immediately after Arsenal’s victory, sharing an image of the match result with the clapping hands emoji.

The Dutch defender is ready to return to action after 8 months.

Timber’s return for the remainder of the season could bring significant benefits to Arsenal and Arteta, especially as the season nears its conclusion. If Timber can get through the match against Blackburn without any issues, he could be ready to return to the field, possibly even in the match against Chelsea this Wednesday.

The Arsenal vs. Chelsea match will take place at  April 23th, as part of the rescheduled Matchday 29 of the Premier League.