Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has confessed that Jurrien Timber has played more than he would have liked after sustaining a muscular injury.
The Dutchman was taken out of Tuesday night’s Champions League match against PSG because of concerns that he might have picked up something more severely. When Timber made his debut last season, he suffered an injury in the first game and missed the whole campaign.
Because of this, Arteta has been careful not to overwork the former Ajax player, who has been out for months, but Timber is still used frequently.
According to The Mirror, the manager acknowledges that the 23-year-old has played more frequently than anticipated and that he was eager to exercise care.
He said on the defender: “He was unbelievable in the first half but he felt something muscular and he wasn’t certain. He’s played more minutes than we would have wanted in the past few weeks and we have to manage him.”
With one of the strongest defenses in Europe, Arsenal’s depth now allows Timber to play less time with the team.
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With the Gunners juggling multiple competitions, Arteta can rotate his defensive line as needed thanks to his summer acquisition of Riccardo Calafiori.
The debut of Mikel Merino, who has struggled with injuries of his own since joining from Real Sociedad in the summer, was a plus for Arteta. He came off the bench for his debut game after his efforts at the Euros put him in the spotlight.
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