‘A worry’ – Ray Parlour warns Mikel Arteta about starting Arsenal star against PSG

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour says Mikel Arteta should be wary of starting Jurrien Timber against PSG’s all-star attack unless the defender has proven he is fully fit for the Champions League final.

Timber has been sidelined for the past two months with a groin injury, meaning he has missed a total of 12 matches in all competitions for the Gunners.

There had been hopes Timber – widely considered to be among the finest right-backs in European football – could return in time for Arsenal’s run-in, but Arteta has been unable to confirm if the Dutchman will feature again this season.

The situation went from bad to worse for the Arsenal head coach last week as Ben White – who had been deputising in place of Timber – was also struck down with an injury.

The Premier League leaders went on to reveal that White would be unavailable for the remainder of the campaign due to a ‘significant’ medial knee ligament problem, a bitter blow which also puts the the England international’s World Cup hopes in doubt.

It leaves Arteta with a potential selection headache a fortnight out from Arsenal’s clash with PSG in Budapest, with Cristhian Mosquera and Declan Rice both used as makeshift options after White’s withdrawal against West Ham.

Mosquera is expected to be given the nod in Arsenal’s penultimate game of the Premier League season at home to Burnley later this evening.

‘We need to look at alternatives,’ Arteta told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

‘The two players [Timber and White] that we have there are not available at the moment. We need to look and do something else.

‘The good thing is that we have experienced that all over the pitch this season.

‘When we had issues, normally, they’ve been in the same positions as well. We have managed to find the right level of performance and consistency. I’m sure we will do that.’

Whoever is selected on the right side of Arteta’s back four could be in for a tough night up against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, one of the most exciting and in-form attackers in this year’s Champions League.

Kvaratskhelia has racked up ten goals and six assists from his 15 appearances for the holders in the competition – and it’s clear ex-Arsenal midfielder Parlour sees the Georgian as a major threat.

‘He’s, for me, one of the best players I’ve seen for a long time,’ Parlour told Goal on on behalf of 10bet.

‘I mean he’s great – what he does with the ball, he chops inside. So that is a bit of a worry.

‘I don’t know what sort of time Timber has been out. A long time. Whether he can throw him straight back in, I don’t know, because it’s nothing like when you’ve missed so many games out injured.

‘You can’t just suddenly go in and do a great job. So it’d be interesting to see what he can do there. I don’t know.

‘I mean that’s going to be the worry for him, there’s no doubt about that.’

Parlour expects Arteta to start out with a cautious, defensive-minded approach at the Puskas Arena considering PSG’s extraordinary talent in the attacking areas.

‘Whoever plays there [at right-back] has just got to give his all,’ he added.

‘You’re not going to be going forward too much as a right-back; you’re going to be more defensive-minded against him because you know what he can do. So I think it won’t be the full-backs flying forward like normal.

‘I think it’d be a much more structured back four, saying, “Well, let the guys in front of us do the damage if we can go forward, but we make sure we don’t get caught out of position”, because you know how good they are on the break and you know how good they are going forward.

‘I think that’s how Mikel Arteta will approach the game.’

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