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Mikel Arteta was asked for his thoughts on Jurrien Timber's latest injury ahead of Arsenal's clash with Wolves
Mikel Arteta provided his response to the news that Jurrien Timber was unable to face Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League. The Dutchman has been comfortably one of the side’s best players this season, but was not fit enough to start.
Before the match, Arteta spoke to TNT Sports, where he was quizzed on why the full-back was not in the squad. What he said revealed that the 24-year-old had indeed suffered a problem in the previous match.
"They both had issues from the weekend, both really bad kicks,” he said. “For Jurrien, it was too early, and for Richy, we have to manage to see if he can do some minutes. [tonight]"
Calafiori did indeed come on at the end to help see out the 3-0 victory in Brugge. He replaced Piero Hincapie and played in the centre of defence.
The seriousness of Timber’s issue, however, remains unknown, football.london understands that the full-back made the trip to Belgium with the squad after training on Tuesday, but was simply not ready for match action.
After Mikel Arteta’s press conference, the Spaniard was approached as he was leaving the room. He was asked if Timber was okay, to which he simply responded: “I hope so.”
Arteta has been notorious for not disclosing much about player injuries and their potential recovery timelines. Whether it is a matter of days, weeks or months, ultimately Arteta continues to keep his cards close to his chest.
He next faces the press on Friday morning, which again will see him quizzed on the latest team news. Arsenal take on Wolves on Saturday evening with the hope that Timber will be available to play before getting a full week of rest - a rarity - before the trip to Everton.
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