Evening Standard
·3 May 2025
Arsenal set to be without Jurrien Timber for second leg trip to PSG

Evening Standard
·3 May 2025
Timber is set to miss out on a season-defining tie
Not confident: Jurrien timber
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
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Mikel Arteta is not confident that Jurrien Timber will be fit for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Timber was left out of the squad for Arsenal’s clash with Bournemouth on Saturday, which they lost 2-1.
Arteta confirmed after the game that Timber was not fit to play any part and Ben White started in his place.
Asked afterwards if he was confident Timber would be fit for Wednesday, Arteta said: “No.
“Confident? At the moment no, because he wasn’t able to play here and we play in four days.”
Pressed on what the issue with Timber was, Arteta replied: “I cannot tell you.”
Timber played 83 minutes in the first leg, which PSG won 0-1 at the Emirates.
Arsenal suffered a disappointing defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday after taking the lead through Declan Rice.
The Gunners had looked on course to claim all three points, but the Cherries scored twice in eight second-half minutes through Dean Huijsen and Evanilson.
The result has left Arsenal looking over their shoulder in the Premier League and they face a fight to hold onto second place.
“We started the game and a lot of the things we wanted happened,” Arteta told the BBC.
“We should have killed the game and we didn’t. On top of that, if you defend your box in two set-pieces in the way we have done, you’re in big, big, trouble.
“We should have put the game to bed. We defended really poorly, nowhere near the standards that we are used to.
“We wanted to generate the momentum and a really positive vibe today - we haven’t.
“What we have created is frustration, rage and anger - make sure we use that on Wednesday.”