Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta share updates on the fitness of defenders Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu following Emirate Cup win.
Arsenal won the Emirates Cup 2-0 against Lyon, with goals from centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in the first half.
However, their defensive duo, Timber and Tomiyasu, were ruled out of the clash in the north London through injury, barely a week before the club’s opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign at home to Wolves.
Speaking On Jurrien Timber:
Arteta expressed optimism about Timber’s recovery. The Dutch defender, who has been dealing with a foot problem, missed Arsenal’s recent 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen and their 2-0 win against Lyon. However, Arteta mentioned that Timber has been making good progress with individual training sessions. “It is fine. He has been doing some individual work. We expect him to be ready to train with the group next week,” Arteta stated. This positive update suggests that Timber could soon rejoin the squad and be available for selection in the upcoming matches.
Speaking About Takehiro Tomiyasu:
Arteta confirmed that Tomiyasu would need to be patient as his recovery is expected to take several weeks. “It will take weeks on that one, unfortunately. He is going to have to be patient,” Arteta explained. This means Tomiyasu will miss the initial fixture of the new season, a setback for both the player and the team.
Despite these injury concerns, Arteta remains positive about the team’s overall progress during pre-season. He praised the competitive nature of their recent matches and highlighted the efforts of the squad in adapting to challenges.
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