Arsenal enjoyed a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but Jurrien Timber’s injury marred the occasion.
Jurrien Timber went down with an injury off the ball early in the second half against Nottingham Forest and was replaced at left-back by Takehiro Tomiyasu. Arsenal signed Timber for £38 million from Ajax this summer, and the versatile defender impressed in pre-season.
Timber looked like he may have injured his knee at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and Mikel Arteta confirmed after the match that he would be scanned and assessed over the weekend. The Spanish coach will already be preparing for bad news.
If Timber is ruled out for a significant period, then the Gunners may well have to change their stance on the future of Kieran Tierney.
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What next for Kieran Tierney?
Arsenal signed Tierney from Celtic for £25 million in 2019, and the Scot has been a regular when fit for much of his career in north London. However, injuries have regularly been an issue for the 26-year-old in recent years, and last season he lost his place in the starting XI to Oleksandr Zinchenko. Timber’s arrival looks to have pushed Tierney even further down the pecking order, as he was left out of the matchday squad entirely for the Nottingham Forest clash.
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However, Zinchenko’s own fitness record is patchy, and Arteta can’t be overly reliant on the Ukrainian’s availability should Timber be ruled out. Despite Tierney having been linked with a move away from the club throughout the summer, circumstances could now force Arsenal to keep him on the books.
Whilst Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior can fill in at left-back, neither are as natural in the role as Tierney. If Timber’s injury is serious, then Tierney will certainly be needed and the opportunity will suddenly exist for him to play a key role and force his way back into Arteta’s plans.
Arsenal may have been hoping to sell Tierney in order to reinvest the funds elsewhere in the squad, but those plans must now be put on hold until the extent of the damage suffered by Timber is clear.