Arsenal's Timber set for extended injury spell after reported ACL rupture

Initial reports have suggested that Arsenal new boy Jurrien Timber has ruptured his ACL after the Dutch defender was taken off during the Gunners’ opening Premier League match of the new season.

Timber joined Arsenal this summer from Ajax in a €40 million deal and has impressed for the Gunners during pre-season, including a superb performance in the Community Shield against Manchester City.

The defender started in Arsenal’s first Premier League game of the season against Nottingham Forest but was forced off five minutes after halftime.

The midfielder had gone down injured at the end of the first half after making a bad tackle but was allowed to continue into the second half after being checked by medics, according to Arteta.

Despite the injury not appearing too serious at first, reports from The Dutch Telegraph suggest that Timber’s injury is more serious than initially believed, and the former Ajax man will now be forced to miss a large chunk of the season with a ruptured ACL.

If the reports are confirmed, Timber will be the latest in a concerning number of recent ACL injuries that have also seen the Real Madrid duo of Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao essentially ruled out for the season.

Timber’s injury will also concern Arsenal’s medical department, as he is set to be the fourth Arsenal player to suffer an ACL injury in the last year, after Leah Williamson, Viviane Miedema, and Beth Mead on the women’s team also suffered similar injuries.