Arsenal star Jurrien Timber has missed group training on international duty with the Netherlands.
The news may come as a concern to Arsenal fans, who have only just welcomed the full-back back to the fold in the last few Premier League matches.
Timber even missed the midweek Carabao Cup clash away to Ipswich Town last week, as he steps up his return from injury.
Mikel Arteta has a problem with Arsenal right-back workloads
After picking up an injury in the run-in of Arsenal’s Premier League-winning season, Timber returned to the bench for the Champions League final, but wasn’t fit enough to go to the World Cup with the Netherlands.
The Dutchman has been stepping up his recovery at the start of the season, with Ben White featuring at right-back – but now, White has picked up another injury on the cusp of the international break.
As reported by Voetbal International via Sport Witness, Timbers’ native Netherlands, the Gunners have been liaising with new Oranje coach Xavi Hernandez over a modified schedule for Timber, with the defender sitting out of group training recently.
This individual programme suggests that the star won’t be risked against Germany this week, after completing an hour against Brighton & Hove Albion – a fixture in which Declan Rice moved to right-back.
Now, however, Rice has also been sidelined through injury, pulling out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
This leaves the Gunners short on cover at right-back, with Cristian Mosquera still out with a knee problem and William Saliba’s back injury meaning that new signing Ezri Konsa has played exclusively in the centre since joining over the summer.
Bruno Guimaraes, meanwhile, has had a slow start to his career in N5 after picking up a knock in the first Premier League fixture of the season at home to Coventry City.
The champions have picked up 12 points from a possible 15 after defeat at the Amex on Saturday afternoon, with this three-week break giving Arteta a chance to get players back from injury.
Timber is worth €65 million, as per Transfermarkt. Arsenal take on Leeds United when Premier League action returns after the international break.