Arsenal have been handed an injury scare after Dutch right-back Jurrien Timber was forced off in the first half of the 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The 24-year-old made his 28th Premier League start of the campaign on Saturday as the Gunners hosted Everton, taking his total appearances this season to 43 across all competitions.
It was a bold call from Mikel Arteta, particularly with Ben White left on the bench.
However, with the Englishman only recently returning to the squad after his own injury, he may not yet be ready to play close to an hour.
Timber’s evening eventually ended shortly before half-time. The Dutch defender had earlier gone down in the first half and received treatment from Arsenal medical staff before attempting to continue.
He was unable to recover fully and signalled to the bench for a substitution, leading to Cristhian Mosquera replacing him in a somewhat surprising switch, especially with Ben White available on the bench.
There has been no confirmation yet regarding the severity of Timber’s injury, although Mikel Arteta is expected to provide an update during his pre-Bayer Leverkusen press conference.
Dowman stars in 22-minute cameo
The setback arrives just eight days before Arsenal meet Manchester City in next Sunday’s EFL Cup final.
Arsenal moved significantly closer to lifting the Premier League trophy after Max Dowman played a decisive role in a dramatic late win against a resolute Everton side.
The breakthrough arrived late when Jordan Pickford attempted to punch clear a delivery from Dowman. The ball ricocheted off Piero Hincapié and dropped perfectly for Viktor Gyökeres, who turned it into the net from close range.
In search of a leveller, Everton pushed Pickford forward for a corner, but Arsenal dealt with the situation and cleared their lines. Dowman then gathered possession, surged the full length of the field and calmly rolled the ball into an empty goal, becoming the youngest scorer in Premier League history at 16 years and 73 days.
Dowman delivered an outstanding cameo following his 74th-minute cameo. He created two chances, attempted five dribbles — the highest tally in the match, completed 12 of his 13 passes, and also came out on top in four of his contested eight duels.