Jurriën Timber's return for Arsenal will have to wait a little longer. Manager Mikel Arteta says the Dutchman's recovery will take at least "a few more weeks".
Timber had initially been expected to return to the matchday squad for the Community Shield against Manchester City. That game will be played next Sunday at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
"I can't go into it very precisely," Arteta says about Timber's expected return. "Jurrien is making really good progress, that's for sure. He is out on the pitch and is already doing quite a lot at the moment, but it will still be weeks before he returns. I can't tell you how many."
An ankle injury forced Timber to miss the crucial final part of last season, although he was fit enough to come on as a substitute in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, which they lost on penalties.
After that, the versatile defender was called up for the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands, but soon dropped out during preparations with a groin injury. He is therefore still recovering.
Arsenal have another problem at the back, with William Saliba also unavailable for the time being. The centre-back suffered a back injury in the World Cup semi-final against Spain.
"Willy is currently resting," Arteta says on that matter. "For two weeks he was allowed to do virtually nothing to prevent the injury from getting worse. The recovery will take some time and as soon as we have more news, we will let you know."