Arsenal are set to face Tottenham Hotspur in a season-defining North London derby on Sunday, and will require a victory if they are to keep pace in the title race.
Mikel Arteta has been blessed with a nearly fully fit squad for the title run-in, to hopefully avoid a repeat of last season’s collapse after William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu picked up long-term injuries.
With Tomiyasu and Thomas Partey both starting and impressing in Wednesday’s 5-0 victory over Chelsea, Arteta has plenty of options to pick from, and may decide to settle with the lineup that was so impressive in midweek.
There is only one injury doubt ahead of the derby, with Jurrien Timber still continuing his recovery from injury, but the Dutchman did start and score for the under-23 side earlier this week, signalling that a possible return is very close, ahead of the trip across North London.
Could Jurrien Timber return to Arsenal squad to face Tottenham Hotspur?
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta revealed that Timber is closer than ever to a return, but a decision on his potential inclusion against Spurs would come on Saturday.
“It’s true [that] apart from Jurrien, who is going to be very close, that we have everybody available. And that’s a huge boost that elevates the training session, the competition between the players and the challenges to pick the right line-up to change the game,” he stated.
“We’re going to have to make that decision tomorrow after the training session. He’s very close, I don’t know if it’s going to come a bit too early for him. But he’s very close, I would say.”
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Jurrien Timber should not be in Arsenal squad for North London derby
Despite appearing for 45 minutes in the academy side on Monday, Timber has not played in proper competitive action since August, and will need to be eased back in given the length and nature of his injury.
He is definitely not ready to appear in such a high-pressure game, in a hostile atmosphere, with the title on the line for Arsenal, and there is little need to rush him back.
Tomiyasu impressed against Chelsea, and looks to be the likeliest candidate to start against Spurs, whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior are both available as options.
The bench is so full that Reiss Nelson missed out on a place against Chelsea, and there will be little merit in dropping a fully-fit defender from the bench for one who is nowhere near full fitness.
