Arsenal full-back Jurrien Timber will miss the World Cup due to an ongoing groin injury, with Netherlands calling up a replacement just days before the tournament begins.
The 24-year-old was a regular for the Gunners this season, making 44 appearances in all competitions, but he picked up a groin problem in March which hindered the rest of the season.
The right-back returned from injury to come off the bench and play 50 minutes of the Champions League final last month, seemingly signalling that he was back to fitness.
Timber has since linked up with the Netherlands squad, but medical staff do not believe he is fit enough to compete in the World Cup in a ‘medically responsible manner.’
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The Dutch have turned to another Premier League defender to replace him, with Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida, on loan from RB Leipzig, called up.
A statement from the Netherlands confirmed: ‘Jurrien Timber misses the 2026 World Cup.
‘The 24-year-old defender has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner.
‘In consultation with the medical staff, it has therefore been decided that Timber will leave the national team’s pre-camp in New York after the game against Uzbekistan. We’re with you, Jurrien.’
Timber has been very impressive this season for Arsenal, when fit, so it is a big blow for him personally and for Ronald Koeman’s side.
It is also a disappointment for twin brother Quinten, who is also in the Dutch squad, with Jurrien posting an emotional message when their selections were confirmed.
He wrote: ‘We once prayed for moments like this. Now we’re living them together. Thank You Jesus.’
Koeman told NOS: ‘Over the last couple of days, we’d already had the feeling that this would be the decision. In the end, we sat down with Jurrien late last night and again this morning, and unfortunately we had to make this decision.
‘With Jurrien in the squad, we have eight defenders; without him, there are seven, and that’s not enough. So you have to make a decision. We had Geertruida with the squad right up until the match against Algeria, so it wouldn’t be too much of a struggle to bring him in.
‘We didn’t wait any longer because his situation wasn’t expected to improve any time soon.’
On Timber’s involvement in the Champions League final last month, Koeman added: ‘You can’t blame the club, and I don’t want to either. It is clear, however, that those minutes didn’t help.
‘If he’d only had to play one more match in the coming period, it might still have been possible. But a major tournament wasn’t on the cards. He hasn’t been fit for a long time and still has symptoms that aren’t healing quickly, meaning he won’t be match fit in the short term.’