Netherlands omit defender Jurrien Timber from World Cup

The Netherlands national football team has ruled defender Jurrien Timber out of the upcoming World Cup due to an insufficient recovery from a groin injury. The decision was announced on Monday, June 8, as the squad prepared for its final pre-tournament friendly against Uzbekistan in New York.

Timber, a 24-year-old Arsenal player, sustained the injury in mid-March and missed the final stretch of the Premier League season as his club clinched its first league title in 22 years. He made a brief return to action, playing 55 minutes as a substitute in Arsenal's Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. Despite that appearance, the Dutch medical staff and management concluded he would not be fit for the World Cup.

A statement from the Dutch football association said the defender "has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner." It was decided Timber would leave the team's pre-camp in New York following the match against Uzbekistan.

National team manager Ronald Koeman noted that while Timber made a positive impression when available, his training had been inconsistent since joining the squad. "When...