Jurrien Timber is running out of time to make Arsenal's Champions League final against Paris Saint Germain on May 30. Mikel Arteta says the defender is still not fit to play, while Ben White is already out for the season after a knee injury, with 15 days left before the final.

Timber came off against Everton in mid-March with a groin injury. White sustained the knee problem against West Ham, leaving Arsenal with a selection issue at right-back that they did not want this close to a final.

Arteta is positive, but not promising anything

Arteta has left the door open, just barely. Speaking to football.london, he said: "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."

He was a little more upbeat in comments carried by Metro: "He's progressed a little bit in the last few days. We're going to try to get him fit and available as quickly as possible, but let's see."

That still sounds like a player who has work to do, not one who is ready to step straight back into a final.

Why Arsenal may be forced to take a risk

The numbers show why this matters. Timber has made 30 Premier League appearances and 7 Champions League appearances this season, so Arsenal are not trying to squeeze in a fringe option. His league rating is 6.92, which points to a defender they have trusted heavily when fit.

White has only 12 league appearances and a 6.86 rating, but his absence matters just as much because he was the other right-back option. Stephen Smith put the sharpness issue bluntly, saying that if a player is not on the field and training this late after two months out, "think of the match sharpness they have lost."

Smith also said Arsenal being short of numbers with White out "could maybe change their posture" towards using Timber in the final weeks. That is the real squeeze here. Arteta is being careful in public, but the calendar is forcing a choice between caution and necessity.

The next two league matches, Burnley on May 18 and Crystal Palace on May 24, come before the final in Paris. If Timber is not training soon, Arsenal may have to plan for the final without him, even if they keep hoping the recovery speeds up before May 30.

FAQ

Will Jurrien Timber be fit for Arsenal’s Champions League final?

Arsenal are running out of time. Mikel Arteta said Timber is still not fit to play, has only progressed a little in the last few days, and needs everything to go smoothly and quickly to have a chance of playing any minutes.

Why is Arsenal’s right-back situation so difficult before the final?

Ben White is out after a knee injury against West Ham, Timber came off against Everton in mid-March with a groin injury, and the final against Paris Saint Germain is only 15 days away. Arsenal are short of numbers and Arteta has not seen Timber in training.

How much match sharpness could Timber have lost before the final?

Stephen Smith said that if a player is not on the field and training this late after two months out, match sharpness becomes a real issue. He also said Arsenal being short of numbers with Ben White out could change how they think about using Timber in the final weeks.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →