Jurrien Timber is set to play for Arsenal Under-21s at Blackburn on Monday night as he steps up his comeback from injury.

The defender has been out since suffering a knee injury on the opening weekend of the season, but is targeting a first-team return before the end of the campaign.

Timber, a £38.5million summer signing from Ajax, is set return to action after eight months out.

His return to fitness would be a major boost for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta during the title run-in, as he can play anywhere across the defence.

“He has a quality that nobody else has in the backline to actually effect, especially in the attacking phases, things that we do, in both positions or three positions,” said Arteta this month.

Timber has used his time out of the team productively and has studied Arsenal games to help him get up to speed when he returns.

“You have to learn while watching. The thing is it’s a long injury, between seven and nine months, but it’s also coming closer every week,” he told Standard Sport in December.

“At some point you need to dig into the way we play and be ready for when I am back. I am involved in meetings, but also a lot of it is about communication. I keep talking to the players, the coaches and I have lunch with them.”