Mikel Arteta was able to name a strong starting XI against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, off the back of the international break.
The international break came at a good time for Arsenal, as the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard remained at the club to shake off knocks and rebuild their fitness.
Arsenal endured an injury crisis earlier this season, so Mikel Arteta will be delighted to have almost a full complement of players available to him once again.
One player who is looking to make up for lost time at the Emirates Stadium this season, having had his last campaign decimated by an ACL injury, is Jurrien Timber. The Dutch full-back was also included in the starting line up for the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards hail Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber
Timber has been a regular in the Arsenal side this season, be it at either left-back or right-back, and has done tremendously well to perform so consistently having recently been sidelined for so long.
Former England duo Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have certainly been surprised, and impressed, by the 23-year-old’s confident return to action.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said: “Coming back from a season out is not easy. I think he’s a really talented player… He gets forward really well.”
Richards responded: “Excellent… You know someone is a good player when you’re playing full-back, you can play on both sides, and you play them equally well… Technically he’s very good, he’s got a good engine.”
Arteta kept Timber heavily involved at Arsenal whilst he was injured, ensuring that he remained a regular presence in the dressing room and at team meetings, whilst the player did plenty of tactical work himself.
That preparation has now paid off, and the Netherlands international looks set to really show the Emirates Stadium faithful what he can do this season.
What Arsenal need from Timber after Ben White blow
Timber’s fitness and form is vital to Arsenal at the moment, particularly with Ben White facing an injury layoff himself. The right-back will need time to recover from surgery, which has been undertaken to address a long-standing issue.
Calafiori and Timber now have the chance to establish themselves as the club’s first choice full-backs, on the left and right flanks of the rearguard respectively, in the coming weeks. The duo have both made strong claims to be at the top of the pecking order.
Timber now needs to prove that he can maintain his fitness for an extended period. Even now he will be dealing with certain hangovers from his ACL issue, so it is important that his minutes are managed carefully by Arteta and that he is not over-exerted.
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