Arsenal defender out for ‘months’ after suffering ‘serious knee injury’ in blow to Arteta’s plans

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber will reportedly miss a large chunk of the season after suffering a significant knee injury against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Timber impressed during pre-season and was arguably the best player on the park when Arsenal overcame Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Named in the starting XI for the Gunners’ opening fixture in the Premier League against Steve Cooper’s men, Timber was substituted early in the second half with what appeared to be a knee problem.
The Dutch international picked up an injury from a yellow card challenge on Forest attacker Brennan Johnson in first-half injury time.
Mikel Arteta used the break to assess whether or not the defender should continue and he deemed him healthy enough to come out for the second 45 minutes.
It took less than five minutes for Timber to take a seat on the Emirates turf, holding his right knee and receiving more medical attention before being replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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And it is not looking good for Arsenal, with a report from the Daily Mail saying Timber will be out for ‘months’ after suffering a ‘serious knee injury’.
The report states that claims Timber damaged his anterior cruciate ligament are ‘unconfirmed’.
Either way, it’s very bad news for Arsenal and Arteta, who clearly had big plans for the 22-year-old having signed him from Ajax for around £38million in July.
Timber’s versatility is a big plus for the Spanish manager. He mainly played as a central defender at Ajax but has already been utilised as a right-back and left-back during his short time in north London.
An Arsenal statement on Timber’s injury stated: ‘Further to his substitution during our match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Jurrien Timber has received extensive assessments and scans which have confirmed he has sustained an injury to his right knee.
‘Jurrien will undergo a further detailed assessment and review with a consultant in the coming days to assess the full extent of the injury, in order to determine the next steps. A further update will be provided in due course.
‘Everyone at the club will be focused on supporting Jurrien at this time.’
Arsenal’s opening day victory over Forest was a nervy one despite the Gunners boasting nearly 80 per cent possession.
They dominated from start to finish but were made to sweat towards the end when a Taiwo Awoniyi goal got the visitors back into the game.
Hale End graduates Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah were on the scoresheet for Arteta’s side, who face Crystal Palace on matchday two next Monday.
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