Jurrien Timber looked back to his brilliant best on Arsenal’s American tour (plus video) | OneFootball

During the US preseason tour, Jurrien Timber was undoubtedly a player we wanted to closely monitor. After suffering an ACL injury on Match Day 1 against Nottingham Forest last season, the Dutch star was out for 252 days, missing 45 games. He returned for selection near the end of the season and made a brief cameo appearance in the 2-1 win over Everton, the last game of last season.

That said, the ACL injury is a difficult injury, and some players struggle to return to full strength because they are terrified of re-injury. However, Timber showed his class in the United States, playing 62 minutes against Bournemouth and 63 minutes against Manchester United before resting against Liverpool.

He hadn’t played much football in a year, but he came into the Arsenal defence and appeared physically at ease, as if he had played regularly. On a technical level, we appreciate his level, but the question was how his mobility, agility, and aggression would rebound after the injury.

Despite our concerns, the 23-year-old appeared unfazed in both appearances. Fine margins denied Arsenal the league title last season, but the acquisition of Timber, who is comfortable across the back four and rarely finds himself in an uncomfortable position on the pitch, might make a difference.