Bench Timber For UCL Final, Eboue Urges Arteta

Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue has urged Mikel Arteta to keep Jurrien Timber on the bench for Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, warning that the Dutch right-back’s long layoff makes him a risky choice for such a high-stakes match.

Timber has not played for Arsenal since sustaining a groin injury in the victory over Everton back in March. While he has been working his way back to fitness and could still be available for the showpiece in Munich, Eboue believes throwing him straight into the starting lineup would be a mistake.

“Of course Timber will want to play – every footballer dreams of featuring in a Champions League final,” Eboue told Metro.

“But the reality is he hasn’t played competitive football for a long time. He needs to be patient and wait a little longer.”

The former Ivory Coast international pointed to PSG’s attacking firepower as the main reason to keep Timber on the bench.

“This PSG team is incredibly strong and very fast. Their forwards will punish any player who is even slightly off the pace. For Arteta, the safer choice is to leave Timber out of the starting eleven and bring him on only if needed later in the game.”