Mikel Arteta confirms long-awaited Arsenal injury boost for Premier League title run-in

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that summer signing Jurrien Timber is nearing a return to full fitness, but still has a "few steps to make".

The former Ajax ace was signed by the Gunners for a fee just shy of £40million before the start of the season, but disaster struck on the opening day of the campaign when Timber suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. After an impressive pre-season that sparked excitement among the Emirates faithful, it was a devastating blow.

However, eight months on from that grim moment against Nottingham Forest back in August, the Netherlands international is edging closer to kicking a ball competitively once again. In the aftermath of the injury, it seemed incredibly unlikely that Timber would be seen again this term.

But Arteta has shed light on how the versatile defender's recovery is going and what Timber still has to do before he can be thrown back into the first-team fold on a match-day. Speaking ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Aston Villa, the Arsenal boss was optimistic in his assessment.

Pressed for comment on when TImber will return, Arteta told reporters: "Still he’s got a few steps to make. He needs to play at least a game with the 23s.

"We’re going to have an in house game too soon. He’s done everything in training now it’s about getting him match fit, having people around him and competing in a football match which is different to training."

Asked what Timber can bring to an Arsenal side fighting for both the Premier League and the Champions League when he does come back, Arteta added: "Hopefully a lot. From what we’ve seen in training and the time that he was fit, he’s going to have a big, big impact in the team."

Earlier on this month, Arteta was asked if