Jurrien Timber has spoken out following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Fulham. The 23-year-old defender sustained a knee injury at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, prompting Mikel Arteta to adjust his defensive lineup.
Mikel Merino opened the scoring for Arsenal just before halftime with a deflected shot from inside the box. In the second half, Bukayo Saka, who replaced Ethan Nwaneri, extended the lead with around 15 minutes remaining.
Shortly after, Timber appeared to be in pain and went down on the pitch. The Dutch international received medical attention before limping off. Leandro Trossard came on in his place, with Merino shifting back into midfield and Thomas Partey moving to right-back.
Following the match, Saka celebrated the victory on Instagram, where Timber joined numerous fans in the comments to congratulate him. The defender posted a padlock emoji, possibly implying that Saka deserves a permanent spot in the starting lineup.
Speaking after the match, Arteta confirmed Timber’s knee injury and addressed the team’s injury challenges. He highlighted how Arsenal has coped with setbacks throughout the season, mentioning long absences for key players like Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta acknowledged the difficulty of losing four defenders—Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Timber, and Gabriel Magalhães—in one week but emphasized the determination of the squad. He also noted that managing such challenges has been a valuable learning experience for the coaching staff.
Despite their injury struggles, Arsenal remains focused on their upcoming fixtures. They will face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday before taking on Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
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