Jurrien Timber has finally returned to full training with Arsenal, boosting hopes that he could feature in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Miguel Delaney reports for the Independent that Jurrien Timber has successfully come through a first full training session back with Arsenal, and he’s hoping to make a return from injury during Saturday’s Champions League final match against Paris Saint-Germain.
Timber had trained on his own up until Tuesday, but he returned to work with the team on Wednesday without suffering any negative effects.
Delaney adds that Timber’s fitness has given Mikel Arteta a decision to make, as the right-back’s involvement could be significant, even if it’s only for half an hour.
Football Insider Hand of Arsenal reports that the decision on whether to include Timber in the squad will be made after Thursday’s training session, with no conclusions drawn yet.
There was another hint at Timber’s fitness status on Wednesday, as the player was included in the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup.
The World Cup obviously takes place after the Champions League final, but it’s encouraging to see that Ronald Koeman now believes Timber will be fit for it, particularly as Koeman had previously suggested the player’s involvement as in doubt.
Koeman must now believe there’s a decent chance that the player will be fit enough to make an impact with his country at the tournament, which kicks off on June 11th, with the Netherlands’ first game on June 14th.
Timber has been out of action since mid-March, so even if he is now match fit, Arteta may decide he’s not ready to start a match of such importance. It still seems likely that Cristhian Mosquera will be selected in the starting lineup against PSG.
After that, the way the game goes will likely decide whether or not Arteta needs to introduce Timber at some stage.
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