Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday that Jurrien Timber will miss Arsenal’s Premier League return on Sunday against West Ham at the London Stadium.
Arteta said there was no fresh injury concern after Arsenal's previous match — "No, everybody finished the game well and nothing to add," — but was unequivocal about Timber and Mikel Merino: "No chance for them this weekend." Timber, who was forced off against Everton in March, has been sidelined with an ankle injury and has missed 11 games in all competitions.
The absence matters because Arsenal lead the Premier League by five points over Manchester City, who have one game in hand, and the season is entering its final, febrile weeks. The club is also preparing for the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 after sealing a 2-1 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid in the semi-final.
Merino, meanwhile, is recovering from surgery on a fractured foot and faces a race against time to return. Arteta offered a cautious view of both players’ prospects, saying: "I don't know, there's still a fair bit to do, so everything has to be so smooth and quick if they want to have a chance to play any minutes." The manager added that he did not know whether Timber would return before the end of the season.
There is a possible window for both players: May 24, when Arsenal could face Crystal Palace, has been suggested as a potential return date. That leaves only a sliver of calendar to rehabilitate Timber from 11 missed matches and for Merino to recover from surgery ahead of what could be two defining fixtures — the domestic run-in and the Champions League final.
Tension for the club is practical as much as tactical. Reports vary on how many league matches remain — one account lists three games left, another counts four matches remaining — and that discrepancy matters when gauging recovery timetables and rotation choices. Arteta’s insistence that there were no fresh concerns after the last outing contrasts with his cautious timelines for Timber and Merino, leaving a gap between reassurance and realism.
Arsenal’s squad management will determine how they negotiate the coming weeks. The team has momentum from the Champions League semi-final and a lead at the top of the table, but missing a defensive option who has been absent for 11 games and a midfield candidate recovering from fracture surgery tightens margins. That is the practical backdrop behind the headline that Timber will miss Sunday’s match.
The single urgent question now is straightforward: can Timber or Merino make enough progress by May 24 to influence the remainder of the league campaign and, crucially, be available for the May 30 Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain? Arteta’s certainty about this — and the timeline he sets — will shape how Arsenal approach their last domestic fixtures and the trip to Budapest.
