Mikel Arteta has offered further hope Jurrien Timber could return from injury in time for Arsenal’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Netherlands international has not played since the 2-0 win over Everton in March, missing the last 13 games due to a groin problem.
The former Ajax star was spotted out and about alongside his teammates as the Gunners celebrated their Premier League title triumph on Tuesday night.
But he was once again absent from training on Wednesday ahead of the final game of the league season against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
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Arsenal have also been without Mikel Merino since January with the Spain international returning to individual training today.
While Timber is a little further behind, Arteta hopes his right-back will be back amongst his teammates in the coming days.
‘Mikel is going to start training with the group tomorrow,’ Arteta told a press conference.
‘Jurrien, let’s hope he can do the same in the next few days. But he’s still a little further behind Mikel at that moment.’
The Timber situation has been exacerbated by the loss of Ben White, whose season is over after suffering a ‘significant’ medial knee ligament injury against West Ham United.
Cristhian Mosquera is an option to fill in at right-back but up against the wizardry of PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Arteta will be desperate to have his first-choice right-back available.
Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare, believes the there will have been plenty of work done privately behind the scenes at London Colney to get Timber ready.
If the player is not on the field and training at this point after two months out, think of the match sharpness they have lost,’ Smith told Metro.
‘Not to say it is impossible, it is not like he has been sat at home, I am sure they are doing a lot of work with him. Arsenal are short of numbers with Ben White out so it could maybe change their posture towards that and how they think about utilising Timber in these final weeks.
‘But it certainly makes it more difficult. The importance of the games coming up too, everything matters.’