Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta provides injury update on Jurrien Timber ahead of Champions League final | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has issued an injury update on Jurrien Timber ahead of a pivotal run-in as Arsenal look to secure both Champions League and Premier League glory.

Leading Manchester City by two points, the Gunners welcome Burnley to the Emirates Stadium on Monday before closing their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace.

According to Arteta, the ‘unbelievable’ Timber is working hard to regain full fitness, with particular focus on being available for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.

“There is a chance, but how big that chance is, I cannot tell you, being completely honest,” the 44-year-old said when asked about Timber’s prospects of featuring against PSG.

“He’s going to do everything he can to maximise that chance in the shortest possible time. That is the challenge ahead.”

Timber has been sidelined since March, when he was forced off during a clash with Everton. His recovery has proven far more complex than initially anticipated, with Arteta’s optimistic estimate of a short layoff now long surpassed.

The concern is compounded by Arsenal’s right-back situation. Ben White has suffered an MCL injury that has ended his season, ruling him out of both the Champions League final and the 2026 World Cup, leaving Arteta without his two first-choice options at right-back.

Christhian Mosquera has been drafted in to cover at right-back in recent matches, while Riccardo Calafiori—who was substituted at half time against West Ham at the weekend—is also a doubt for Monday’s game with a fresh injury concern, though Arteta expressed hope it is “nothing serious.”

Arsenal remain five points clear at the top of the Premier League with games remaining, and the prospect of lifting both the league title and the Champions League represents the club’s most significant opportunity in a generation.

Navigating the final stretch of a gruelling campaign without two of his most trusted defenders will put Arteta’s squad depth to the ultimate test.