Arsenal’s latest injury issue suffered by Jurrien Timber will give a chance for the club’s newest signing to excel.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title on the final dayf of last season as Manchester City beat West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium to claim the title.
This represents the second consecutive season that the Gunners have missed out on the Premier League title but it seems they’re doing their best to rectify this problem.
Arsenal are in talks with Real Sociedad over a move for Mikel Merino but one defensive signing could prove to be crucial.
Riccardo Calafiori already showing his worth for Arsenal
Arsenal completed the signing of Riccardo Calafiori earlier this month with the Bologna defender moving to the Emirates Stadium after a fantastic Euro 2024.
Calafiori was compared to Italian defender Franco Baresi and the 22-year-old could have a key role to play for Arsenal in this upcoming season.
Jurrien TImber was brought to Arsenal last summer but the former Ajax defender suffered a serious injury on his debut for the North London club against Nottingham Forest which led to him missing the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.
Whilst Timber has been slowly making his way back into the team, Arteta has been impressed by the Dutchman’s leadership skills.
However, after such a long period out of the first team, there are bound to be knocks and niggles which could affect his second campaign at the Emirates Stadium.
This has proven to be the case with The Times’ Gary Jacobs on X claiming that Timber has been suffering from a load-bearing injury which is natural for a player returning after an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Calafiori vital for Arsenal with Timber’s injury concerns
ACL injuries aren’t as career-defining as they used to be with sports science and technological advancements meaning that the Dutchman will be able to play again.
However, it may take time for the Dutchman to fully heal and be back to match sharpness and that is why the signing of Calafiori is so important.
Calafiori is more than capable of playing across the back four but the Italian looks set to lineup as a left-back for the Gunners.
This decision has led to Jakub Kiwior to consider his options with Inter Milan keen on the Polish defender but Calafiori’s versatility will be vital.
As for Calafiori, the Italian suffered a ligament injury during the 2018/19 season but since then has not missed more than a month of football through injuries with the Italian missing just three days in total last season through a ‘knock’.
This reliability will be key for Arteta particularly with Timber on the way back to fitness.
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