Soccer
Two key Arsenal defenders 'weeks away' from playing, says Mikel Arteta
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Mikel Arteta doesn't know exactly when Jurrien Timber and William Saliba will return to the pitch for Arsenal, but it won't be soon.
The Premier League champions kick off their title defence on Aug. 21, but Timber and Saliba aren't expected to be part of the side that will face newly promoted Coventry City in that opening match. In fact, it could be much longer before fans see either of the defenders in Gunners red again, but of the two, it appears that Timber is closer to fitness.
The Netherlands international suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the final months of Arsenal's title-winning campaign, and the ailment ruled him out of the World Cup as well. According to Arteta, Timber's return is approaching.
"Jurrien is progressing really well," the Arsenal manager said following the club's friendly against Borussia Dortmund earlier this week. "He's on the pitch [in training], he's doing quite a lot right now, but it's still weeks away. I cannot tell you how much."
As for Saliba, the France defender subbed out of his country's 2-0 loss to Spain in the semi-finals of the World Cup due to a back injury, and it's something that's keeping the 25-year-old from even training at the moment.
"William Saliba is in rest mode at the moment for two weeks," Arteta said. "He had to do almost nothing, an aggravated injury, so it's going to take some time to heal. We know that.
"And as soon as we have more news, we can inform you."
Saliba's recovery timeline is such that Arsenal have been linked to Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa for a potential summer transfer, along with Tottenham's Argentine captain Cristian Romero.
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