Tottenham star Micky van de Ven shows true colours with public message to Arsenal rival

Timber was substituted 50 minutes into Arsenal's win over Nottingham Forest last weekend and will need to undergo surgery after his injury turned out to be more serious than initially feared. He is likely to be on the treatment table for almost all of this season in a bitter blow for the Gunners, who only signed the defender from Ajax last month.

The Dutchman took to Instagram to confirm the news, saying: "Gutted to share my injury is more serious than expected, especially after the warm welcome I’ve received. I wanted to repay you on the pitch, which will not be possible for the forthcoming period. For now I’ll be supporting our team from the stands of course. Thanks for making me feel at home in such a short period of time."

A number of fellow Arsenal players were quick to show their support for Timber, including the likes of Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson. Van de Ven also responded to his countryman by posting a heart emoji, with the Tottenham ace putting their north London rivalry to one side in the process.

Micky van de Ven was quick to show his support for Jurrien Timber on Instagram 

Timber has impressed during his short time at Arsenal and played in a number of different positions throughout pre-season. He featured at right-back during their tour of the United States and filled in for the injured Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left in his first two competitive matches.

He will play no further part for the Gunners for the foreseeable future, though, and will likely miss both matches against Tottenham this season. Mikel Arteta suggested on Thursday that Arsenal could sign a replacement for Timber as a result of his injury setback, with the Spaniard keen on having two quality players in each position.We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Timber is set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury 

"To have the injury he has is a huge blow," said Arteta. "It is for the team because we recruited him with clear intentions and what he was bringing to the team was evident and he’s not going to be able to do it this season for us. We have to adapt.

"These things happen unfortunately and we have to move on. We are always open and we have to be open as well to the injuries but also to react to the market. I’m more thinking about the resources in the team to do what we want to do, but it’s true he was giving us a lot on both sides."