‘He wasn’t involved’: £40m Arsenal player missed recent behind-closed-doors friendly after injury

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Most of Arsenal’s key players have been off on international duty over the past week.

However, there are a few Gunners players who have stayed in north London over this period.

The likes of Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu have stayed behind, as has Jurrien Timber as he continues to recover from his long-term injury.

Timber has been edging ever closer to a return to action for Arsenal, but, interestingly, according to Chris Wheatley, speaking on ShotsTV, Timber wasn’t actually involved in a recent behind-closed-doors friendly against QPR.

Jurrien Timber missed recent friendly vs QPR

Wheatley shared what he knows about Timber and this recent game.

“He’s very close. He’s hoping to be involved in one of the upcoming games. He could be named in the squad for Man City of course, it’s always a possibility. He wasn’t involved in the behind closed doors friendly against QPR over the international break, that only included Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu, but there was no Jurrien Timber,” Wheatley said.

Jurrien Timber can’t be rushed back

As nice as it would be for Timber to get back playing, there’s no need to rush him back and risk him in a behind-closed-doors friendly like this.

This game against QPR literally didn’t matter, and the worst thing Arsenal could’ve done was to rush Timber back and aggravate his injury further.

Timber will be back soon enough, as Wheatley says, he could even be in the squad against Man City this weekend, but patience is always the name of the game here when you’re dealing with a player who has suffered such a complicated injury that has left them on the sidelines for such a long time.

The £40m man may have missed the game against QPR, but he should be back in action soon enough.