Timber Faces Season-Ending Injury Blow as Feyenoord Captain Ruled Out with Knee Issue

Feyenoord’s captain Quinten Timber, aged 23, will miss the remainder of the season following knee surgery for a ligament injury, the club announced on Monday.

Timber suffered the injury during an awkward tackle last week in Feyenoord’s 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League playoff in Rotterdam. Consequently, he didn’t travel to Italy with the rest of the squad for the return leg on Tuesday.

With six goals in 18 appearances this season, Timber has played a crucial role for the Dutch side, but he has now added to a growing injury list that sees eight other players unavailable for the Milan clash.

Timber is the twin of Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber, who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during his Premier League debut in August 2023. After undergoing surgery, he was sidelined for several months.

Meanwhile, striker Calvin Stengs, who was injured during a 3-0 victory against Bayern Munich in January, is fit again and is expected to feature in the match on Tuesday.

Despite these challenges, Feyenoord’s interim coach Pascal Bosschaart remains optimistic about his team’s prospects as he addressed the media prior to the match.

“We all feel for Timber; it’s a blow for everyone,” he remarked.

“However, we’re equipped with a strong team. The lineup is the same as last week’s, minus Timber but including Calvin Stengs. We’re pleased to have Stengs back; he’s ready to contribute for about half an hour.”

“Leading 1-0 gives us a solid chance to progress to the next round. AC Milan will undoubtedly approach this match differently than in Rotterdam, so we need to strategise accordingly, but we’ve prepared thoroughly. We hope our plans will succeed,” Bosschaart concluded.