January 19th 2024.
Arsenal's training camp in Dubai received a boost with the presence of Jurrien Timber, who is on the road to recovery from an ACL injury. Mikel Arteta, the Gunners' manager, remains optimistic about the defender's potential involvement in the team's season, despite his unfortunate injury.
Timber, who joined Arsenal from Ajax in a £38 million deal during the summer transfer window, suffered his injury just 60 minutes into his Premier League debut in August. However, there have been positive signs of progress as he joined the squad during their mid-season training camp in Dubai earlier this month. He was even seen participating in some ball work on the training pitch, indicating a step up in his rehabilitation process.
Initially, it was feared that Timber would miss the entire 2023-24 campaign, but with reports suggesting that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery, Arteta has not given up hope of the young defender returning before the end of the season.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of their game against Crystal Palace, Arteta stated, "There is a possibility, but at the moment he is still very far away from competing. That is the realistic picture of it. We are hopeful that he can have an impact at the end of the season if everything goes well." He added, "It looks like there is a chance that might happen, but I think it's too early to make that call."
Apart from Timber, there are other players on the injury list as well. Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been recovering from a knee and calf injury respectively. Thomas Partey has also been out of action for a while. However, Arteta did not give out any specific updates on individual players, stating that some are "touch and go."
The absence of key players has been a challenge for Arsenal, and Arteta's team will be hoping for their speedy recovery. The manager also addressed transfer rumors surrounding some of his players, including an out-of-favour fan favorite, stating that he is focused on the upcoming game against Crystal Palace.
In other news, William Gallas has criticized a Chelsea star for slowing down the team and lacking technical ability, while Karim Benzema's agent has hinted at a possible transfer to either Arsenal or Chelsea. Meanwhile, cash-strapped Barcelona is considering offering a contract to a former Manchester United flop, and Arsenal's decision to recall a young player has been branded a "major disappointment" by the club. To read more stories like these, click here. Arteta remains hopeful and focused as he navigates through the challenges ahead.
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