Jurrien Timber handed major boost after difficult Arsenal injury spell
Jurrien Timber has returned to the Netherlands squad after being selected by new head coach Xavi Hernandez for the upcoming international break.
The Arsenal defender has been included in a 26-man group for four UEFA Nations League matches despite only recently returning from a lengthy groin problem.
Timber will report for international duty on Monday alongside the rest of the squad, provided he comes through Arsenal’s final fixture before the break against Brighton & Hove Albion without any fitness concerns.
The Netherlands begin their Nations League campaign against Germany at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on September 24 before travelling to face Serbia three days later.
They will then visit Greece on October 1 and conclude the international window with another meeting against Serbia in Eindhoven on October 4.
Timber’s selection represents another important step in his recovery after a frustrating few months for the 25-year-old.
The versatile defender was initially named in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup but was ultimately forced to withdraw after failing to recover sufficiently from his groin injury.
Timber subsequently underwent surgery during the summer, ruling him out of Arsenal’s pre-season preparations and the opening weeks of their Premier League title defence.
He finally returned to competitive action as a substitute during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Sunderland last weekend, replacing the injured Ben White at half-time.
However, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta opted against involving him in Tuesday’s 4-2 Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town as the club continue to carefully manage his workload.
Arteta confirmed on Friday that Timber, White, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie would all be assessed before Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brighton.
The Netherlands call-up nevertheless provides a positive indication of Timber’s progress following an injury-disrupted summer.
He was a major figure in Arsenal’s Premier League-winning campaign last season, making 30 league appearances and earning selection in the PFA Team of the Year.
Timber will now have an opportunity to impress Xavi, who replaced Koeman following the World Cup and has selected the Arsenal defender in his first Netherlands squad.
His immediate priority, however, remains proving his fitness with Arsenal as Arteta attempts to carefully reintegrate one of his most important defenders.
The post Jurrien Timber handed major boost after difficult Arsenal injury spell first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.