Jurrien Timber returned to action for Arsenal’s Under-21s against Blackburn Rovers last night.
The Dutchman has endured a difficult first season at the Emirates Stadium following his summer switch from Ajax.
In his first appearance for Arsenal in the Premier League, Jurrien Timber suffered a knee ligament injury in a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
The injury has kept him sidelined for a total of eight months but he finally got some minutes under his belt on Monday evening.
Timber played 45 minutes in an U21s game against Blackburn and got on the scoresheet.
Timber on ‘strange’ feeling during Arsenal return
Arsenal’s youth side drew 2-2 with Blackburn’s U21s in a Premier League 2 game last night.
Timber started from the off and opened the scoring with a delightful effort.
The 22-year-old received the ball down the left-hand side before cutting inside towards to goal. He then unleashed a curling effort into the top corner to open the scoring inside 10 minutes.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official website after the game, Timber reflected on his return to action and admitted the feeling of scoring was ‘strange’.
“Honestly, even that felt strange,” the full-back said. “I didn’t quite register it at first, probably because I don’t score a lot of goals.
“Maybe that’s changed after all the rehab,” Timber joked. “But it felt amazing and a reward to the hard work of the past eight months.”
What Arteta has said about Timber’s return
Arteta will be wary of rushing Timber back into first-team action following such a significant injury.
Ahead of the 2-0 win at Wolves on Saturday, the Spaniard claimed that the former Ajax defender has looked good in training.
Arsenal supporters are desperate to see the Dutchman return to action and Arteta recently responded when asked if he could feature in Sunday’s north London derby.
“That’s a quick step,” the Gunners boss said. “Let’s see how he feels today. He has been training really good, he looks ready.
“He needs that exposure and after that we will assess whether that game comes at the right time or too fast. We will try to get him with us for the final games.”
Chelsea and Spurs are likely to come too soon for Timber. But seeing the full-back in action last night will be hugely exciting for Arsenal fans.
The defender impressed during pre-season and also caught the eye on the opening day against Forest before being forced off.
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