Arsenal set to welcome back £34.5m signing for title run-in | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says Jurrien Timber is now overcoming the "last big step" in his recovery from a serious knee injury, hinting the Dutchman will be available to play before the end of the season.

Timber joined Arsenal from Ajax in a deal worth an initial £34.5m, potentially rising by another £4m should certain performance related add-ons be met.

But any hopes Arsenal had of their new signing hitting the ground running were abruptly halted by a serious injury on the first day of the season. Timber innocuously jarred his knee towards the end of the first half against Nottingham Forest and it was quickly apparent after the break that he could not continue.

Scans determined that Timber had torn his anterior cruciate ligament - an injury that required immediate surgery and put the remainder of his season in doubt - and the Dutchman has been sidelined ever since.

After crashing out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich, Arteta and Arsenal have needed some positive news - something the Spaniard hinted at in his latest press conference in regards to a possible Timber return.

"It's too soon (for Timber to face Wolves on Saturday)," Arteta told reporters. "He’s going to play a game with the 23s and after that we will see better how he feels.

"He looks really good in training, but it’s that last big step, we need to see if he’s ready and how it’s going to go."

The 22-year-old's return would be greatly welcomed by an Arsenal side who have started showing signs of fatigue in recent weeks. The Gunners were surprisingly beaten by Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday - denting their Premier League title aspirations - and lost out to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

Timber would provide cover all across the backline having played as a right-back, centre-back and left-back during his time at Ajax.