Another Gunner down: Jurrien Timber becomes latest Arsenal star to pull out of international duties as Netherlands defender struck with illness ahead of Spain rematch

Timber was originally included in Ronald Koeman’s 24-man squad for the two-legged tie, which featured several Premier League stars, including Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, Matthijs de Ligt, and Patrick Kluivert. However, he was notably absent from the squad list for Thursday’s first leg at De Kuip, home of Feyenoord, as the Dutch played out a dramatic 2-2 draw. Timber was expected to start but a sudden sickness bug ruled him out of contention before the Rotterdam encounter.

Jorrel Hato, the Netherlands’ starting left-back for the match, received a red card in the 81st minute, meaning he will be unavailable for the second leg in Valencia. With Timber being the ideal replacement for Hato, Koeman had hoped he would recover in time. However, on Friday, the Dutch FA confirmed that Timber’s condition had not improved, officially ruling him out of the return fixture. With defensive options becoming increasingly limited, Koeman has responded by calling up Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen as a reinforcement.

Timber’s withdrawal comes at an unsettling time for Arsenal, who are already dealing with injury worries over Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian defender suffered a scare during Italy’s latest fixture against Germany, being forced off after an awkward slip, raising further concerns over his availability.

For Arsenal, the international break is proving to be an anxious period, with Timber’s health and Calafiori’s condition now major talking points ahead of their Premier League return. Arteta will be closely following the developments as he hopes to receive a boost ahead of their crucial home match against Fulham on April 1.