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“We did not expect…” – Arteta on “difficult” situation with Arsenal star as he provides double injury update
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted to a “difficult” situation with the Jurrien Timber injury as it’s not clear if the right-back will play again this season.
The Spanish tactician says it looks like Timber’s rehabilitation has not been as smooth as he expected, with the Netherlands international being out for longer than it initially looked like he’d be.
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In a significant double update, Arteta also suggested it’s not clear if either Timber or Mikel Merino will play again for Arsenal this season.
See below for the Gunners boss’ comments, as quoted by journalist Simon Collings…
Arteta asked if Timber injury more complicated than expected:
"Yes. That has probably been the most difficult thing to manage with the player and myself. Because we did not expect it to take so long and at the moment he is not fit to play." https://t.co/pbYRpn3FCB
— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) May 8, 2026
When asked about Timber and Merino, Arteta said: “I don’t know, there is still a fair bit to do. Everything has to be so smooth and quick if they want to play any minutes.”
On Timber, he added: “That has probably been the most difficult thing to manage with the player and myself. Because we did not expect it to take so long and at the moment he is not fit to play.”
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Can Arsenal achieve best-ever season despite injury struggles?
Arsenal fans will no doubt hope that Timber and Merino can still have a role to play this season, with the club closing in on a memorable Premier League and Champions League double.
Timber in particular would normally be an automatic starter for the Gunners, even if Ben White has filled in well in his absence, while Merino is an underrated player who can make an impact off the bench.
It would undoubtedly help to have both of them available right now, especially as AFC could genuinely be at risk of picking up more injuries after losing key players for so much of the season.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have only recently returned to action, while Kai Havertz missed a large chunk of the campaign, while there have also been periods when other big names like Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes weren’t available.
Arsenal have a bigger squad now than previously, which has helped, but they can’t afford more bad luck like this in the coming weeks or they could miss out on both big prizes.
The post “We did not expect…” – Arteta on “difficult” situation with Arsenal star as he provides double injury update appeared first on CaughtOffside.
