Jurrien Timber will be sidelined for a significant period after sustaining a serious knee injury and Arsenal could be tempted to use the transfer window to sign a replacement.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the club may make a transfer approach for a new player in the coming days after the extent of Jurrien Timber’s injury sustained against Nottingham Forest was revealed.
The Dutch International is likely to be sidelined through injury for around seven months, after the club confirmed that Timber had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
“The report said the defender will undergo surgery in the coming days and would be out of action for an extended period of time.”
The news of the 22-year-old defender coming off injured upon making his debut for the North London club, comes as a “big blow” to Arteta, with the manager insisting the number of serious injuries suffered so early into the campaign is a “big worry” for player welfare.
“It is a huge blow. Especially for him after just joining the club. We recruited him with clear intentions and what he was bringing to the team was evident,” Arteta said.
“I’m more thinking about the resources in the team to do what we want to do. But it’s true he was giving us a lot on both sides.”
“Well, we didn’t plan obviously with this injury,” he said.
“We have to assess now what the options are, what the best way is to get the best out of the players we have. As I said, my biggest challenge now is to get the best out of the players we have.”
“I cannot control anything that is not here. And we are always open and we have to be open and react if something happens, not only with an injury but with the market as well – and that’s what we are doing.”
Arsenal have spent over £200m in the transfer window to bring in Timber, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya. But Arteta admitted they may be forced to change their plans to sign another defender and plug the gap left by Timber’s injury.
Arteta also highlighted a number of other injury issues when asked if the problems could link back to the amount of football that players are being asked to complete.
“Also Emi Buendia, (Thibaut) Courtois, it happened to (Eder) Militao as well – there is something there,” he added.
“In the past you can say: ‘yes there have been games, there have been tours as well’. But with games, tours, the World Cup in January, plus this, plus that, plus internationals. It is a lot. It is too much for the players.”
“It is incredibly demanding, when you see the next 36 months of the calendar for these players it is just better not to look at it because it is incredible what they are going to be doing.”
“We have to look after them but, as a club, when do you look after them? To prioritise other competitions? Then we are the ones that have to look after them – what we really need is to be sitting down (discussing plans), but I think it is too late, at least for the next 36 months it is too late already.”
“I don’t know who needs to raise a voice here, but there are worries, big worries on that.”
