Jurrien Timber has been left out of the Netherlands' squad for their Nations League showdown with Germany, with the Dutch defender only recently returned from injury.
The occasion in Amsterdam on Thursday night is set to be a blockbuster, as Xavi Hernandez and Jurgen Klopp both begin life in the international dugout. The Netherlands will be without Timber, who is one of three players in the 26-man group who will not be in the matchday squad.
Return to action
Timber made his first start in six months on Saturday when he lined up for Arsenal in the 3-0 defeat to Brighton. The defender has been hampered by a groin injury since mid-March, with his only appearance after that point last season coming off the bench in the Champions League final.
Timber underwent minor surgery over the summer and that delayed his start to the season as he missed the first five matches. He played an hour against Brighton and came through unscathed, which enabled him to join up with his international team-mates at the start of the week.
Managing workload
However, Xavi confirmed in a press conference that he would be "a bit careful" with Timber and discussions have taken place with the Arsenal medical staff over managing his workload. That modified programme meant he did not take part in training on Monday or Tuesday and instead underwent individual work away from the main group.
Timber was fit enough to feature in full training on Wednesday, but the decision has been made for him not to feature against Germany. He will instead continue to build his fitness over the next few days before the Netherlands travel to face Serbia on Sunday.
Upcoming fixtures
They then take on Greece on October 1 and host Serbia three days later. Timber is expected to play some part in this block of matches. Along with Timber, Gjivai Zechiel and Kenneth Taylor are also believed to have been excluded from the squad to face Germany.
