Jurrien Timber, Reiss Nelson – Arsenal injury news and return dates ahead of Bournemouth

Arsenal will look to tick off another game in their Premier League title race with three points this weekend when they take on AFC Bournemouth.

The Gunners, who currently lead the way at the top of the table, welcome the Cherries to the Emirates Stadium looking to go four points clear of Manchester City ahead of their game against Wolves.

Pep Guardiola's men do have a game in hand but Arsenal must do all they can to keep the pressure on City. Fortunately for Mikel Arteta's side, they could welcome back one of their summer signings at the weekend.

With that being said, football.london has taken a look at all the latest Arsenal injury news as Jurrien Timber eyes a return.

Jurrien Timber

Timber suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the opening weekend of the Premier League season against Nottingham Forest, missing a large chunk of the season. The 22-year-old defender has recently returned to action, playing over an hour for the under-21s at the weekend.

He helped the young Gunners secure a 2-0 win over Liverpool as he steps up his rehabilitation. Finally, after nearly nine months on the sidelines, Timber could make his first-team return against Bournemouth – though a start would be unlikely.

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Speaking on the latest edition of Frimmy's Colney Carpool, Timber was the guest with the defender picked up in a golf buddy following training. Upon being asked if the session was light, Timber promptly replied: "Heavy, heavy, heavy." Considering how his load has been managed in recent weeks, Timber giving such a response suggests a return is imminent.

Later on in the video uploaded to Arsenal's official website, Timber delved into his recovery from the injury. "It's going well to be honest, but it just takes time, you know, this injury, you need to be patient," he said. "Even though it's going really well, I need to do everything step by step."

Injury: Knee.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the north London derby, Arteta said: "We have to make that decision [Saturday] after the training session. He’s very close, I don’t know if this is too early, but he’s very close now."

Potential return date: Bournemouth (H) – May 4.

Reiss Nelson

Nelson was omitted from the matchday squad that faced Tottenham at the weekend. It remains to be seen exactly why the 24-year-old winger was left out despite appearing in first-team training the day prior.

He's done well to steer clear of the treatment room this term after missing a few months last season due to a thigh issue. Between December 2022 and February 2023, Nelson missed nine games for Arsenal.

Injury: N/A.

Speaking to reporters at the start of April, Arteta said: "Look at the example of Reiss. His best moment for Arsenal, it’s a moment where he played a few minutes and made a huge impact and it’s one of the best days in his life as an Arsenal player.

"Nobody remembers if he started or if it was off the bench. There are a lot of examples in world sport where players made the impact. Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club. You don’t need 100 minutes to play football."

Potential return date: Bournemouth (H) – May 4.