Arsenal are hoping to have Jurrien Timber back in action for the final couple of months of the season, but claims of an imminent return to full training have been walked back.

Sami Mokbel reports for the Daily Mail that Arsenal summer signing Jurrien Timber is making pleasing progress towards his return to full training, moving closer to a comeback.

Mokbel adds that there’s hope Timber can play in the defining weeks of the season, with the club hoping he’ll be fit to feature in the final two months of the campaign.

But the report also states that there are obstacles to overcome before Arsenal can put a timescale on the final phase of Timber’s recovery.

Hopes had initially been raised of a more imminent comeback when the article was first published, as it stated there was optimism Timber could return to full training in February.

But these claims have since been removed from the piece, as it seems Arsenal are remaining cautious about their timeline for the defender.

Timber recently started doing ball work with Arsenal in Dubai, but the club highlighted that he was only training individually, away from the rest of the first team.

“That’s a very long-term injury,” Arteta said earlier this month.

“He is doing really well but he is still far from being fit to train with the team, or something to compete with the team so we don’t expect him back anytime soon.”

Vivianne Miedema of the Arsenal Women also recently recovered from an ACL injury, returning to training in September, but not playing a match for another 41 days.

Beth Mead rejoined training in August, and she took 47 days to play in a match again.

Calum Chambers took 49 days to go from ball work to his first match back, which was an u21 game.

Hector Bellerin took approximately two months to go from kicking a ball to playing for the u21s. Rob Holding was back with the ball at his feet before the end of June and didn’t play for the u21s until August 12th.

ACL injuries always take time, and it seems Timber’s case is no exception.