Forgotten Arsenal star returns from injury after eight months out as Arteta handed major title boost

ARSENAL have been handed a major injury boost in the race for the title.

That’s after Jurrien Timber, 22, was named in the starting XI for the club’s U21 squad for their PL2 game tonight.

Getty

Jurrien Timber is back in Arsenal training[/caption]

The Gunners have taken no chances with Timber’s return to action after he suffered an ACL injury in the club’s Premier League opener.

The defender accompanied the squad to their warm weather training camp in Dubai in January and speculation over when he would be reintegrated into the squad has been rife since then.

Arteta has previously said that he would consider picking Timber in his squad again once he had played with the U21s.

That now looks set to happen with the player starting at left-back for the U21s match against Blackburn Rovers tonight.

Timber has set his sights on a return before the end of the season but whether he will play a role with five crucial games left remains to be seen.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all available to play at left-back, where Timber is likely to be deployed.

The versatile Dutchman can also play right-back and in the centre of defence.

He signed for Arsenal in a £40million deal last summer from Ajax.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Arteta said earlier this month: “He has a quality that nobody else has in the backline to actually effect, especially in the attacking phases, things that we do, in both positions or three positions.”

Speaking about his recovery, Timber said: “You have to learn while watching. The thing is it’s a long injury, between seven and nine months, but it’s also coming closer every week.

“At some point you need to dig into the way we play and be ready for when I am back. I am involved in meetings, but also a lot of it is about communication. I keep talking to the players, the coaches and I have lunch with them.”