Which Arsenal matches will Jurrien Timber miss through injury?
Tom Hancock
- Updated: 17 Aug 2023 09:23 BST
- 3 min read
The 2023/24 season is less than two weeks old, but Arsenal have already lost one of their big summer signings in Jurrien Timber.
On his Premier League debut, the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, Timber was forced off with what has since been confirmed as an ACL injury.
That means the Dutch defender will need surgery – and, as a result, he looks set be sidelined until at least the New Year.
Here, FootballTransfers runs through the key games Timber is likely to miss as he recovers from that huge blow.
MORE: How much have Arsenal spent on transfers so far this summer?
Which Arsenal matches will Jurrien Timber miss?
Arsenal have 19 Premier League fixtures scheduled between now and the end of 2023, constituting just over half the league campaign.
It’s certainly a possibility that Timber will miss all of them – including clashes with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, and the North London Derby against Tottenham – and that’s before we even get into the other competitions in which the Gunners will be involved.
Mikel Arteta’s side will also feature in this season’s Champions League, whose six-match group stage – the draw for which will be made on August 31 – takes place from September to December.
In addition to 25 Premier League and Champions League games, Arsenal could also be in Carabao Cup action three times: they enter the competition in Round Three next month, with Round Four and the quarter-finals taking place in October and December respectively.
When could Timber return to action for Arsenal?
There is a sense that the most optimistic timeframe on Timber’s injury lay-off is three-and-a-half months.
Adopting an optimistic outlook, then, his first game back could potentially be Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round tie in early January – against opposition to be determined after the conclusion of the second round in early December.
The Gunners’ first Premier League match of 2024 sees them host fellow London outfit Crystal Palace.
