Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed concerns over the long-term injury of Jurrien Timber. The Netherlands International has reportedly broken his ACL and is set to be out for a number of months. However, Arteta hasn't denied that Arsenal would dip into the market to look for Timber's short-term replacements.
In the Premier League pre-match press conference, Arteta said, “We have to assess now — as we are always open to reacting if something happens.”
“This is not only with injuries but the market as well. That’s why we sign Raya. We need two top players per position”.
It is always a concern for a manager when he buys a player, and he is injured right away for a long time. Timber had a fantastic performance in the opening Premier League game against Nottingham Forest. However, his injury set the tone for a nervy Arsenal finish as the Gunners held out to a 2-1 win over Forest.
Arsenal already have a healthy backup of Timber, i.e., Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko. However, both have had injury setbacks and are not reliable full-back choices either. Zinchenko is sidelined due to an injury, whereas Tierney wants to leave the club as he is linked with a move to Newcastle United.
It is likely that Arsenal would have to secure the departure of Tierney before bringing in a new full-back. Mohamed Simakan and Benjamin Henrichs of RB Leipzig are linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium. The pair started in the DFL Supercup game against Bayern Munich and denied Harry Kane his first silverware.