Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has publicly addressed his devastation at being ruled out of the 2026 World Cup through injury.

The 24-year-old has been struggling with a groin problem that first forced him out of action during a Premier League match back in March.

Timber was withdrawn in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on March 14, beginning a lengthy and difficult recovery period.

Despite returning to training late in the Premier League season and appearing for over 50 minutes in the Champions League final defeat to PSG, he has not recovered sufficiently for tournament selection.

Ronald Koeman’s medical staff determined that playing Timber at the World Cup would not be medically responsible given the state of his recovery.

The Dutch football federation confirmed in an official statement that Timber “has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner.”

Lutscharel Geertruida, who impressed during his time with Sunderland, has been selected to replace Timber in the Netherlands squad.

Timber broke his silence on the matter with a heartfelt Instagram post, writing: “Heartbroken to miss the World Cup. Representing my country on the biggest stage is something I’ve always dreamed of, and it’s difficult to accept that injury has taken that opportunity away from me.”

He added: “While this isn’t the path I had hoped for, I trust that God has a plan greater than the one I can see right now. Wishing the boys all the best. Make the nation proud!”

The federation confirmed in their statement that Timber will leave the national team’s pre-camp in New York after the game against Uzbekistan.

Netherlands face Japan, Sweden and Tunisia in their World Cup group, with the tournament being held across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Adding further emotion to the situation, Timber’s twin brother Quinten, who plays for Marseille, will still represent the Netherlands throughout the tournament.

The brothers had shared their excitement at the prospect of living out their childhood dreams together on the international stage this summer.

Timber did not feature in the Netherlands’ penultimate warm-up fixture against Algeria six days ago, a match the Dutch lost 1-0.

Mikel Arteta had taken a chance on the defender during the second half of the Champions League final against PSG, a match Arsenal ultimately lost on penalties.

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