Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Jurrien Timber is back in training at Arsenal, with fans spotting the player in the background of one training photo.

Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of defender Jurrien Timber ahead of this weekend’s match against Liverpool, with a number of other defenders ruled out of the match.

William Saliba is suspended, Kieran Tierney, Riccardo Calafiori, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all seemingly out injured. Timber could be an important player if he’s available.

The Dutch international can play at left-back, right-back, or centre-back, so he could fill in wherever Arsenal need him. But perhaps left-back would be the best option this weekend, given he could cover Mohamed Salah’s left foot.

Yet Timber has been out injured for over three weeks now, and initial reports on Friday suggested he still wasn’t in training.

Those claims have since been walked back, with Mikel Arteta confirming Timber did play at least some part in the session.

“Timber, again, it’s the first session that he could have some involvement,” Arteta said. “He’s been out for a while, we expected him to be further back than where he is at the moment but, again, we have to wait and see (for Liverpool).”

Eagle-eyed Arsenal fans then spotted Timber in the background of one training photo, obscured by youth forward Andre Harriman-Annous.

Hopes of Timber’s involvement had been dashed earlier in the day as he was left out of the Netherlands’ provisional squad for November’s Nations League internationals.

Even though the first of their November international is still three weeks away, Dutch boss Ronald Koeman has already excluded Timber from their squad list.

But perhaps that ties in with Arteta’s comments that they expected Timber to be out for a little longer. Maybe the speed of his recovery has taken both club and country by surprise. Arsenal fans can only hope.