Arsenal identify crucial fixture as earliest Jurrien Timber injury return date

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Arsenal have now identified their Champions League last 16 second-leg tie at home to FC Porto as the earliest date for Jurrien Timber to possibly return from his ACL injury.

The 22-year-old has been sidelined since the opening day of the Premier League season last August. Arsenal were forced to send Timber for surgery after he sustained an ACL injury just 50 minutes into their 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest. It even risked ending his season early.

Timber only joined Arsenal from AFC Ajax last July, as well, as Mikel Arteta sought to add an extremely versatile presence to his defence. The Netherlands centre-half played regularly in pre-season as a right or left-back. He also played against Nottingham Forest as a left-back.

Arsenal identify their best-case return date for Jurrien Timber

Arteta has had to rely on right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu and centre-half Jakub Kiwior to serve as Oleksandr Zinchenko’s backup at left-back without Timber. But Tomiyasu has also had his own injury issues. Zinchenko’s displays and Kiwior as a stand-in have also recieved criticism.

So, seeing Timber travel with Arsenal to Dubai for their winter break offered promising signs that he could return from his injury soon. But football.london now reports that March is still the earliest that he could likely feature again. It is also likely to be near the middle of March.

Arsenal have identified Porto’s trip to Emirates Stadium for the second leg of the Champions League last 16 encounter on March 12 as the earliest date that Timber could return from his ACL injury. The Gunners will fly out to the Estadio do Dragao for the first leg on February 21.

Jurrien Timber could miss nine more games due to his injury

Porto’s trip to north London remains a best-case scenario for Timber’s return as he ramps up his recovery in Dubai. Arsenal also have nine games across all competitions before the UEFA affair. Their path includes Premier League fixtures with Liverpool, West Ham and Newcastle.

Arteta is likely counting down the days until Arsenal have Timber back fully fit, though. The Spaniard envisaged giving his summer signing a key role throughout their defence. But ACL surgery after only one Premier League match threw the Gunners’ plans out of the window.