Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has admitted he is still short of full match fitness and must be 'very smart' about his return to first-team action to avoid another injury setback.
The 25-year-old has endured a frustrating 12 months, with a groin problem keeping him sidelined for two months at the end of Arsenal's title-winning campaign. That setback came after he had returned from an ACL injury in his debut season at the Emirates to establish himself as one of the Premier League's leading right-backs.
Despite featuring in Arsenal's Champions League final loss to PSG in May, Timber was not deemed fit enough for the Netherlands' World Cup squad in the summer.
Cautious approach from Arteta
Mikel Arteta has taken a cautious approach with Timber's fitness, and the full-back did not appear in any of Arsenal's pre-season fixtures. Timber made his return as a substitute in the victory over Sunderland last month before playing an hour of the defeat to Brighton prior to the international break.
His form earned a call-up to the Netherlands squad, and he started against Greece in the Nations League before dropping to the bench for the match against Serbia.
'I have to be very smart'
Ahead of that clash, Timber told reporters: 'I have to be very smart about the steps we take. Otherwise, I'll suffer a setback, and I don't want that.'
He added: 'I want to play every game and take part in every training session. However, the physios advise me on what is best for me. So, I need to listen to them carefully.'
Speaking exclusively to Metro last month, Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs, which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, explained why precautions were being taken with Timber's rehabilitation.
'The smart thing for Arsenal to be doing at this time would be to manage his load,' Smith said. 'To try and create rotation opportunities for him to rest and recover and refuel the tank.'
'The output Arsenal try to deliver physically is huge so it makes total sense given the injury history and his importance to the team to ensure they don't run into the same issues they had before.'
