Mikel Arteta confirms Jurrien Timber is very close to return ahead of north London derby

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Jurrien Timber could be available for Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The Gunners are currently on a two-match winning streak and they will be aiming to continue the run against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.

Ahead of the derby, Arteta has revealed that a decision will be made on Timber after tomorrow’s training session. The Dutchman is very close to first-team action after a serious knee injury.

He told reporters: “We’re going to have to make that decision tomorrow after a training session. It’s very close, I don’t know if this is going to come too soon for him, but he’s very close.”

The €40 million-rated star had a fantastic pre-season last summer after his arrival from Ajax. However, he suffered an unfortunate injury on his league debut against Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal have been cautious since his return to team training. He recently featured for the Under 21s against Blackburn Rovers where he scored a stunning goal in the opening half.

Timber only played 45 minutes of the game. He could now make the substitutes’ bench for Sunday’s derby. The 22-year-old could make his comeback if Arsenal are in a winning situation.

The Gunners face a must-win situation against Spurs as they look to stay in the title race. The club are currently top of the table with 77 points. Manchester City are just one point behind with a game in hand.

Pep Guardiola’s side are favourites to lift the title for the fourth season running, but Arsenal will be hoping that the Cityzens slip up in their final five games of the top-flight campaign.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com