Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber came up with a stunning strike upon his long-awaited return from injury in an Under-21s fixture with Blackburn Rovers on Monday night.
The summer signing from Ajax had spent over eight months out with an ACL injury, which he sustained on his Premier League debut back in August, but he was given the thumbs-up to return to competitive action earlier this month.
Timber started at left-back for the youth team in their Premier League 2 battle with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, and with just eight minutes gone, the 22-year-old marked his return with a bang.
Showcasing neat footwork to chop back inside the box and work the angle for a shot on his right foot, Timber was not closed down by Blackburn's defenders, who paid the price as he curled a sumptuous strike into the top corner.
An absolute beauty from Timber 🔥
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) April 22, 2024
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Timber completes 45 minutes on Arsenal comeback
The Dutchman kept his celebrations to a minimum, kissing his wrist and slowly jogging back to position, but he was immediately mobbed by his teammates after opening the scoring in style.
Timber came through the first 45 minutes of the match unscathed before unsurprisingly being taken off at half time, by which point all four goals had flown into the back of the net in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Amario Cozier-Duberry doubled Arsenal's lead from the spot, but Blackburn fought back before the break through Harrison Jack Wood and Junior Nsangou as the spoils were shared.
Timber is expected to return to first-team action for the Gunners before the end of the season, and earlier on Monday, Mikel Arteta was asked whether he could potentially come back in time for this weekend's North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur.
Ben Knapton
