Arsenal new signing faces lengthy time-out after Saturday injury

Newly signed Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber will face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest.

The Dutch defender picked up the injury barely 50th minute of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, before being replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The player will require surgery on the injury and while Arsenal did not give a timeframe for his time off.

“Further to detailed assessments with consultant specialists since Saturday, we can confirm that Jurrien Timber has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

“Jurrien will undergo surgery in the coming days and will be out of action for a period of time.

“The support and expertise from our medical team and everyone at the club will now be focussed on Jurrien’s rehabilitation programme, to ensure he recovers well and is back playing as soon as possible.”

Commenting on the development, Timber said on Instagram: “Gutted to share my injury is more serious than expected, especially after the warm welcome I’ve received.

“I wanted to repay you on the pitch, which will not be possible for the forthcoming period. I’m blessed with a lot of great people around me, together we will do anything to get back as soon and strong as possible.

“For now I’ll be supporting our team from the stands of course. Thanks for making me feel at home in such a short period of time, see you at The Carpet.”