Jurrien Timber and Fabio Vieira will miss Arsenal’s final pre-season match of the summer against Lyon due to ‘slight’ injuries, the club has announced.
Arsenal are set to kick off the new Premier League season against Wolves next Saturday but will first return to north London for the Emirates Cup clash with the Ligue 1 team on Sunday afternoon.
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Mikel Arteta selected a strong starting lineup, featuring England internationals Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, while Timber and Vieira were not included.
The club confirmed Vieira is sidelined due to a hip issue, and Timber is dealing with a ‘slight’ foot problem.
Timber’s absence could be a minor concern for Arsenal supporters following his injury-riddled first season with the team.
The versatile defender joined Arsenal from Ajax for £38 million last summer but suffered a serious knee injury in the season opener against Nottingham Forest in 2023-24.
An anterior cruciate ligament injury kept him out for nearly the entire season, with his return only coming as a substitute in the final match against Everton in May.
Timber was part of the squad for Arsenal’s pre-season tour in the US, where he played against Bournemouth and Manchester United but missed the loss to Liverpool.
The 23-year-old also missed this week’s friendly against Bayer Leverkusen, with reports indicating he has been struggling with a ‘load-bearing’ injury, which is not believed to be connected to his previous knee issues.
Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori is included in the squad for Sunday’s match against Lyon, aiming to make his debut for the club following a £42 million transfer from Bologna.
Eddie Nketiah is also among the substitutes, despite ongoing speculation about his future with the club.
Marseille have been negotiating with Arsenal regarding the striker for several weeks, but the Ligue 1 team has been hesitant to meet the £30 million asking price.