Arsenal star reveals it was a miracle he played in the Champions League final

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·24 September 2026

Arsenal star reveals it was a miracle he played in the Champions League final

Jurrien Timber has battled injuries that have limited the number of matches he can play for Arsenal, and after several months on the sidelines, he returned to feature for them in the Champions League final. His return came at a crucial stage of the campaign, although his fitness remained a concern.

The defender came on as a sub in the final as Arsenal lost on penalties to PSG. However, Timber suffered another injury after the match, which forced him to miss the World Cup and begin another lengthy period of recovery.

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Timber explains his injury problems

Timber spent much of the summer recovering from the injury, but he was still not ready when the new season began. Arsenal did not rush him back into action, as they hoped to find a lasting solution to the setbacks that have continued to affect his availability.

The defender has now opened up about how he managed to play in the Champions League final. Many people believed he was not fit enough to feature, and his subsequent injury appeared to reinforce those concerns.

However, Timber insists that he was miraculously fit enough to play against PSG at the time. He has explained that his physical condition was better during that particular week, even though he knew there were limitations to what he could do.

Arteta & Jurrien Timber (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Timber describes Champions League final

Timber said via Standard Sports:

“Calling it a relapse is too harsh.

“You know, I was injured for a total of 25 weeks before and after the World Cup. To be honest, I only felt good during that week of the Champions League final. It was a miracle [that I played].

“From the outside, it all looked good. But I felt I couldn’t go all out. You can get away with that in training, not in a match.”

The comments provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding Timber’s appearance in the final. Although he was able to play, the defender admits that he could not give everything physically, something that was possible to manage in training but much more difficult during a competitive match.

His latest comments also underline the difficulties Timber has faced with his fitness, with the defender continuing to work towards a more consistent run of matches for Arsenal.

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