Arsenal star Jurrien Timber sits out Netherlands training after injury return

Jurrien Timber is training alone while on international duty as he continues to recover from a troublesome groin injury.

The full-back missed wide swathes of last season as he struggled to get match fit, but returned to come off the bench in the Champions League final.

He subsequently missed the World Cup, only returning to the pitch this season with a cameo appearance against Sunderland and a start in the defeat at Brighton.

That performance was enough for Timber to earn a call-up into Xavi’s first-ever Netherlands squad, but his return to the national team has already hit the rocks.

He was pictured sitting alone on the sidelines as his team-mates held an open training session on Tuesday, with reports in the Dutch press stating he is undergoing an individual training programme as his return to competitive play is managed.

Dutch outlet VI reports Arsenal are in contact with the national team’s coaches to work out a suitable modified training programme. All parties are looking to be conservative with the player’s recovery to avoid a re-injury.

Timber was the only member of the Oranje squad to train separately on Tuesday.

It remains to be seen whether he will be fit to feature in any of Der Oranje’s coming Nations League matches against Germany, Serbia and Greece. Their first match of the window, at home to Germany, is set for a 7.45pm BST kick-off this Thursday.

That match will be Xavi’s managerial debut with his new side, which he joined after Ronald Koeman stepped down following the World Cup. He is the first foreign manager to take charge of the Dutch national team since Ernst Happel of Austria left the role in 1978.