Some may think that Arsenal are where they are this season because of the consistency they can field with their starting XIs.
Sat top of the Premier League and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, there is some truth to the fact that Mikel Arteta doesn't make too many changes.
But to suggest the club haven't received many injuries this term would be wrong. Thomas Partey has been seen just twice in the league since October. No.1 left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has missed the best part of five weeks of football while Gabriel Jesus has sat out 16 matches through injury.
They were three key components of the squad last season but there's one man we're forgetting about, isn't there? An exciting summer signing during the 2023 window who has been seen on only two occasions in Arsenal colours to date.
The man we're talking about is Jurrien Timber.
The latest on Jurrien Timber's injury
Timber starred during the opening two weeks of the campaign only for his debut term in north London to be cut short courtesy of a horrible injury.
The Dutchman, signed from Ajax last summer for a £38m fee, began the Community Shield victory over Manchester City at left-back and was then fielded there again on the opening weekend of the Premier League season against Nottingham Forest.
However, the defender was hauled off just 50 minutes into his league bow for the club. The damage was revealed later. It was a crippling ACL blow, meaning he would miss the next six to nine months of action.
So, what's the latest? Well, TImber has been back on the grass at the Sobha Reality Training Centre in recent weeks and has stepped up his rehabilitation with the rest of the first-team squad.
Speaking to the media at the back end of February, Arteta noted of the Netherlands international: "He’s doing really well. He’s been with some players on the pitch. He’s going to do some bits with us on the pitch in the next week or so. Then we have to see how that evolves, his confidence levels, his fitness levels and hopefully then the answer is ‘yes’.”
With the international break now in full swing, the hope is that the 22-year-old will be ready for some minutes once the domestic action recommences in a week.
Ahead of a hectic climax to the season, in which Arsenal still have to face Man City and a double-legged tie with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, this is a seismic boost for the club.
What Jurrien Timber could add to Arsenal
In the brief 126 minutes we've seen of Timber in Arsenal colours we've already been able to gather a sense of what to expect once he returns.
This is a remarkably composed player who fits Arteta's system like a glove. What's more is the Dutchman's versatility. Principally a central defender, he can also more than do a job at left-back or right-back.
That said, with Ben White's seemingly undroppable form on the right – contributing a goal and two assists in his last two league games – it is likely we'll see him on the left. After all, no one is removing William Saliba and Gabriel from their central roles.
You may well wonder what Jakub Kiwior has done to deserve being dropped but systematically, Timber is perfect for that inverted role. He's cool and crisp in possession, boasting some immense statistics when compared to positionally similar players.
As per FBref, the former Ajax man ranks inside the very best 2% of central defenders in Europe's top five leagues for the last 365 days in passes attempted (82.45) and passes completed (74.14) per 90 minutes. It would perhaps be easy to question why this is impressive. Well, when you consider what those passes mean it highlights things very nicely.
Chalkboard
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Timber is supreme at breaking the lines, notably ranking among the very elite centre-backs for progressive passes per 90 (7.30) and passes into the final (9.69), metrics where he sits in the top 1%. He's also among the top 2% again for key passes (0.63).
What the above means is that nearly 9% of the pass attempts Timber makes are progressive. Evidently always forward-thinking, this would no doubt suit Arteta's ploy to dominate possession and get the ball into the final third.
Progressive passes
8.61
12.3
5.45
Pass completion %
92%
88%
85%
Passes attempted
81.5
83.5
62.8
Passes completed
74.7
73.3
53.2
Key passes
0.42
1.50
0.57
Passes into final 3rd
9.76
8.50
4.66
For some additional context, above is how he ranks alongside Zinchenko and Timber for some of the vital metrics we've just discussed. It's clear to see just why teammate and fellow summer addition Declan Rice thinks he's a "monster."
It's somewhat of a cliche to suggest a player returning from injury is like a new signing but this is truly the case here. We've seen nothing of Timber since last August. His return is exciting and will offer plenty to an Arsenal side challenging on two fronts.