Injury expert reveals potential Timber return date for Arsenal after Arteta provides latest news | OneFootball

An injury expert has revealed when Jurrien Timber could return from injury as the Arsenal defender continues to recover from a groin issue.

The Gunners have been out of form in the Premier League in recent weeks with Mikel Arteta’s league leaders throwing away a big lead over Man City.

Recent defeats to Bournemouth and Man City means that the Citizens are now just three points behind and Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand.

Timber was not fit for either of those matches with the Netherlands international coming off on 38 minutes during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on March 14.

Arsenal have certainly missed his presence at the back and at set-pieces, and Gunners boss Arteta revealed after they drew 1-1 against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday that they still weren’t sure when Timber would return.

Arteta, who has been giving Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White turns at standing in for Timber at right-back, told reporters: “We don’t know yet. He is doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment. But we need to get the gears up and be able to do more things before he can compete with us.”

And now Stephen Smith, who is the CEO and founder of Kitman Labs, reckons Arsenal defender Timber could have suffered a grade two groin injury, which could include “a partial tear of the muscle or the tendon itself”.

‘If it is a grade two then we are talking about a more significant injury’

Smith told the Metro: “Six weeks in [to his rehabilitation period] would mean we are beyond the grade one stage.

“Grade one stage is usually just a small number of fibres that have been torn or overstretched. Generally, that is one to three weeks. If it is a grade 2 then we are talking about a more significant injury, maybe a partial tear of the muscle or the tendon itself.

“Generally, you are looking at a three to eight week window for that. If it is a grade 3, it is much more significant and closer to a rupture. Then you are talking two to three months.

“He is in that three to eight week window right now, which suggests it looks likely to be a grade 2.

“So there is potential light there in terms of how his rehab is progressing and potential light in seeing him involved soon before the end of the season.”

After Arsenal lost to Man City earlier this month, Gunners legend Martin Keown bemoaned the absences of Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.

Keown told talkSPORT: “We were on our third right-back.

“It’s normal to feel nervous but it’s about how you react. I don’t believe that the injuries Arsenal have had have helped them.

“Timber and Saka are not available for Arsenal. Perhaps Arsenal bit off more than they can chew. They were really big in four competitions.

“Is the workload playing a part here? Perhaps that game came at the wrong time. The squads players that come in meant Arsenal played with four central defenders yesterday.

“No Calafiori to develop the play in midfield like they normally have. No Timber and that tenacity he has to help deal with Haaland when he’s doing his stuff.

“People come in to replace who is missing, we were on our third right-back yesterday.”