Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that Jurrien Timber is still "very, very far" from making his comeback from an ACL injury despite encouraging signs in his recovery.
On just his second appearance for the Gunners following his arrival from Ajax for £38.5m, Timber hobbled off the field against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
The Dutchman had started at left-back against Manchester City in the Community Shield and reprised his role for the visit of the Tricky Trees, but he was forced to exit with just 50 minutes gone.
Arsenal soon confirmed the worst as Timber began months of recovery, but he has been making steady progress and joined the rest of his teammates for their recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
While in the Middle East, Timber was filmed running on the training pitches and also undertaking individual ball work, fuelling suggestions that his return to contact training with the rest of the team could happen in the not-so-distant future.
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Arteta was asked about the 22-year-old's recuperation in Friday's press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, and he affirmed that he is hopeful of welcoming Timber back to action before the end of the season.
However, the Spaniard conceded that it would still be a while before Timber would be at the stage where he is ready for first-team selection, saying: "There is a possibility but at the moment he is still very, very far from competing. That's the reality of it.
"We're hopeful that he can have an impact at the end of the season, if everything goes well, and it looks like there is a chance that that might happen but I think it's too early to make that call."
Timber is one of three long-term absentees still in the care of the Arsenal doctors, as Fabio Vieira (groin) and Thomas Partey (thigh) are also guaranteed to miss the visit of Roy Hodgson's side this weekend.
Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also unavailable due to international commitments, and neither Gabriel Jesus (knee) nor Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) were in the squad to face Liverpool in the FA Cup earlier this month.
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Zinchenko's problem also kept him out of Arsenal's loss to Fulham on New Year's Eve, but Jesus's issue was described as "minor", and he was seen training with the team in Dubai.
However, Arteta still kept his cards close to his chest when questioned if either man would be fit to face the Eagles, adding: "We are touch and go with a few, that's what I would say.
"We still have a few unfortunately on that list that we haven't managed to get back yet, but hopefully they are much closer and some of them are in a better place than we expected. Individually I'm not going to tell you exactly how everybody is, but we are still missing a few."
Arteta was also pressed on the future of Emile Smith Rowe, who has supposedly emerged as a loan target for West Ham United, but the Gunners boss brushed off speculation over a January exit for the 23-year-old.
Arsenal have slipped to fourth in the Premier League table during a miserable run of one win from seven games in all tournaments, but they will rise above Aston Villa into third spot with victory over their London rivals this weekend.
Ben Knapton
