Arsenal defender back in Netherlands squad after fitness caution

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Jurrien Timber has been named in the Netherlands matchday squad for Sunday evening's Nations League meeting with Serbia, just days after being left out entirely for the draw with Germany.

The Arsenal defender was one of three players omitted from the 26-man squad on Thursday, an absence that immediately raised questions among Gunners supporters given his stop-start beginning to the campaign.

New Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez moved to calm those concerns in his press conference, confirming the decision was about workload management rather than a fresh problem.

"We are now focused on [Thursday night], not on the rest of the matches," Xavi said. "We are ready. We have to be a bit careful with Jurrien Timber, who was injured for a long time. But he is available, that goes for everyone."

Named among the substitutes

Timber has been included on the bench for the Serbia clash alongside his brother Quinten, leaving Xavi the option of handing him minutes without committing to a start.

It is a notable step forward for a player whose season has been disrupted from the outset. Timber missed the World Cup and underwent minor surgery over the summer, a procedure that ruled him out of Arsenal's first five matches of the campaign.

His return came as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Sunderland on September 12, when he had a second-half goal ruled out for offside. He was then left out of the squad for the Carabao Cup tie against Ipswich as the club continued to manage his return.

With Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera both sidelined, Timber was handed his first start of the season in the 3-0 defeat at Brighton, playing an hour at the Amex Stadium and coming through the match without issue.

A busy international block ahead

The Netherlands are not finished after Serbia. Xavi's side face Greece on October 1 before a rematch with Serbia three days later, this time on home soil.

According to the Evening Standard, Timber is expected to feature at some stage across that block of fixtures, with the Dutch staff having held discussions with Arsenal's medical department over how his minutes are handled.

That line of communication matters for Mikel Arteta, who is already without White and Mosquera in the same area of the pitch. Timber's versatility across the right side and centre of defence makes him one of the more valuable pieces in the squad when fully fit, and a controlled build-up of minutes on international duty is preferable to a sudden spike.

Elsewhere in the squad, there was less encouraging news for Liverpool, with Jeremie Frimpong left off the Netherlands matchday team-sheet altogether.

For Arsenal, the immediate focus is on how much game time Timber is given in Belgrade and whether he emerges from this international window ready for a sustained run in Arteta's side.