Mikel Arteta provides injury update on Jurrien Timber following ankle surgery

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Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has undergone surgery on a long-standing ankle injury, with manager Mikel Arteta hopeful the Dutch international could return in time for the club’s 2025 pre-season tour.

Timber, who has battled through pain in recent weeks, played a key role in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign but has not featured since their narrow semi-final second-leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on May 7. Following that loss, it was revealed that the 22-year-old required a minor procedure to address the issue.

Arteta confirmed on Thursday that Jurrien Timber had surgery earlier in the week and is now set for a period of recovery.

“Jurrien had surgery on Tuesday morning on his ankle,” Arteta said at his pre-match press conference. “He’s been navigating through the season with that issue, and it needed to be resolved. He’s going to be out for a while.”

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When asked whether Timber would return in time for pre-season, the Arsenal boss remained cautiously optimistic: “We don’t know yet. It will depend on how the recovery goes. It will be weeks, but we don’t know exactly how many. Hopefully, it will be somewhere near the pre-season if everything goes well.”

Timber’s absence means Ben White is expected to continue at right-back, having started recent Premier League matches against Newcastle and Liverpool. He is also likely to feature in the final match of the season away at relegated Southampton on Sunday.

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Arsenal are set to embark on a pre-season tour of the Far East in July, with high-profile friendlies against AC Milan in Singapore on July 23 and Newcastle United on July 27. They will then face Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong at the newly constructed Kai Tak Stadium on July 31.

In another injury setback for the Gunners, centre-back William Saliba will also miss the clash against Southampton. The French defender was forced off at half-time during last weekend’s win over Newcastle with a hamstring issue.

“Saliba had something in his hamstring in the first half, just before half-time, and he’s going to be out for a few weeks,” Arteta confirmed.

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