Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal staff have gone to great lengths this season to keep Jurrien Timber feeling included on a day-to-day basis at the club.
Jurrien Timber has remained a present and welcomed figure at Arsenal throughout his lengthy recovery period.
Arsenal paid £38 million to sign the Dutch defender from Ajax in the recent summer transfer window. The 22-year-old impressed in pre-season with his versatility – as he can comfortably play in any position across the back line – his defensive solidity, and attacking nature on the ball.
However, on the opening day of the Premier League campaign, disaster struck for Timber against Nottingham Forest. He suffered an ACL injury that has kept him sidelined ever since.
Timber is now back in training and a return to first-team action is in sight. However, Mikel Arteta will understandably be treating the player with a great deal of caution. He needs to be eased back into the fold, and overcome this last stage of his rehabilitation process gradually. The last thing that he or the Gunners need is for him to be rushed back into the intensity of top-level football too quickly only for it aggravate his injury once again.
How Arsenal have kept Jurrien Timber close to the team this season
Whilst Arsenal fans have seen far less of Timber this season than they would have hoped for, he has remained an important presence at the club. He is clearly a big part of Arteta’s long-term plans, and as such, measures have been taken to keep him in the loop and feeling like a part of the squad.
As reported by football.london, Timber “has been part of team meetings and is in the dressing room before and after every home game.” He is now re-integrated with the group on the training pitch too, where “in sessions where it is felt that undue stress may be placed on his knee, Timber sits out. In others though, he is now fully involved.”
During his period of recovery, Timber has also taken time to familiarise himself with Arsenal’s tactics. He will be eager to hit the ground running when he is fit to play again and make up for lost time. In order to do that, he needs to be able to slot into Arteta’s setup seamlessly.
Arsenal will be hoping that the Netherlands international can have an impact in what remains of this season, as Arteta will need to lean on the strength in depth of his squad during the run-in. Next season, though, is when we can all really expect to see what Timber has to offer.