Jurrien Timber has been sidelined since mid-March with a groin injury—a blow that has kept Arsenal's dynamic defender out of 11 consecutive matches. What initially seemed minor turned into a nagging absence, leaving fans and teammates guessing when the Dutchman would return.
Timber's last appearance came in Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Everton. Since then, the Gunners have stormed into a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain and regained control of the Premier League title race after Manchester City stumbled against Everton.
Yet the question lingers: Will Timber play any part in the season's defining final weeks? Mikel Arteta has offered little clarity, admitting in late April that he simply doesn't know when the 24-year-old will be available again.
“We don't know yet,” Arteta confessed. “He is doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment. But we need to get the gears up and be able to do more things before he can compete with us.”
Timber was spotted celebrating with teammates after the Champions League semi-final triumph, a hopeful image. But no concrete update has followed—just silence and speculation.
Arsenal have felt his absence deeply. Timber's chemistry with Bukayo Saka down the right flank was one of Europe's most lethal duos. Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White have filled in, but Arteta craves his first-choice right-back back on the pitch.
Injury analytics experts now offer a glimpse into what might be happening. Stephen Smith, CEO of performance analytics firm Kitman Labs, suggests Timber may be dealing with a grade 2 groin injury—a partial tear that typically sidelines a player for three to eight weeks.
If that timeline holds, Timber could return for the final stretch of the season, just as Arsenal push for the title. “Beyond six weeks in his rehab would mean we are beyond the grade one stage,” Smith explains. “Grade one is one to three weeks. Grade 2 is three to eight weeks. He's still in that window, which suggests it could be a grade 2.”
Grade 3 would mean a rupture and two to three months out—but that's not the case here. “There is potential light in terms of how his rehab is progressing,” Smith adds, “and potential light in seeing him involved soon before the end of the season.”
Arsenal's season now races toward its climax. Their fate is in their own hands with three games left: West Ham, Burnley, Crystal Palace. Whether Timber joins the charge remains the final, tantalizing mystery.
