"I felt like a baby" - Arsenal star opens up on struggles after picking up ACL injury on debut with the Gunners

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has touched on his recovery from an ACL injury and admits that it's been hard.

Timber picked up an ACL injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest on August 12. It was a devastating blow for the Dutch defender who arrived at the Emirates from Ajax in the summer for £38 million.

The 22-year-old underwent surgery and it's up in the air as to whether he'll return to action before the end of the season. His recovery has seen him require child-like assistance from teammates.

Timber revealed how his partner helped him during the early stages of his recovery. He said (via GOAL):

"The beginning was obviously hard. The first few days are painful. My girlfriend helped me a lot. I felt like a baby. The support of my team-mates and the coaches was immense from the moment I heard the news."

The Netherlands international also namedropped his Arsenal teammates Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mohammed Elneny as individuals who looked to encourage him:

"I remember [Oleksandr] Zinchenko and Mo [Elneny] were at the training ground, everyone was off [that day] and the doctor left me alone for a bit, and they came into my room. They were just talking to me and encouraging me, saying so many positive things."

Timber concluded by expressing his gratitude for the support he's received:

"A lot of guys were texting me, because everyone was off so no one was at the club, but they heard what happened and were texting me. They asked if I was okay and the support was immense."

The Dutchman was expected to play a key role in Arsenal's side this season. He boasts versatility as he can play both in central defense, at full-back, and in a holding midfield role.

Timber made 121 appearances while at Ajax, scoring six goals and providing four assists. He won three major trophies with the Eredivisie giants.

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Mikel Arteta talks up Jurrien Timber's adaption to life at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta was full of praise for 'special' Jurrien Timber.

Although Timber is currently sidelined it appears he's becoming a popular member of Arsenal's squad. Arteta alluded to this when speaking about how the defender has adapted to life with the north Londoners (via the club's official website):

"If you talk to anyone in that building, everybody that gets close to him [will tell you] he’s a really special guy. We were really impressed when we signed him. Sometimes, when you see the player live in your environment playing and training, we went ‘wow, we have an incredible player’."

Arteta touched on Timber's injury setback by applauding his summer signing for how he's dealt with it:

"He’s had a big setback and a difficult moment to go through and he’s been really special in the way he has handled the situation, really special."

Arteta has built a squad that is heavily invested in team unity. That has been on display throughout the season, with Arsenal top of the league, two points above second-placed Liverpool with 36 points from 15 games.