Mikel Arteta says Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber is “flying” through his recovery process.
The summer signing was cruelly struck down with an ACL injury less than an hour into his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest in August and has not played since after a £38.5m move from Ajax.
Timber has not yet started to train outside and there is no return date set but the defender told Standard Sport last week that he was using his lay-off to study the way Arteta’s team play in great detail.
He is a regular visitor to the dressing room before and after matches and is yet to miss a home game all season, as well as frequently attending team meetings at the training ground.
"The thing I was thinking about when I first got injured was just to take the positives out of it and to keep trying to be involved with the team," he said.
"You have to learn while watching. The thing is it's a long injury, between seven and nine months, but it's also coming closer every week.”
While Timber will surely be facing a wait to make only his second competitive appearance for the club, Arteta confirmed the 22-year-old was making good progress on his comeback.
“He is doing very well,” said the Gunners boss on Monday.
“Obviously he’s going through a really significant injury but he’s flying to be fair, the stage he is right now. The way he works every single day is incredibly satisfying to watch but unfortunately we’re going to miss him still for a long time.
"The first few steps are crucial for that injury, for the amount of work they have to do for the knee to be resolved and get some activity and mobility back and start to build the strength. Especially how the head is throughout that period, I think he’s in a really good place."
