Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has been stepping up his rehab (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal star Jurrien Timber is back on the grass and underwent some ball work in Dubai this week as he took a big step towards recovery from injury.

The Gunners signed Timber from Ajax in a deal worth £38m this summer but despite much hype over his arrival, he has only managed to make two appearances.

After playing 76 minutes as Arsenal beat Manchester City in the Community Shield, Timber picked up a nasty ACL injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest.

It was thought that the 22-year-old defender could miss the entire season but his rehabilitation appears to be ahead of schedule.

Arsenal posted a video on Timber stepping up his rehab via their YouTube channel on Thursday in the latest sign that he could return before the end of the current campaign.

‘During our first-team training camp in Dubai, Jurrien Timber has been stepping up his rehab from the ACL injury he sustained on the opening weekend of the Premier League season,’ the caption read.

‘The Dutch international defender was forced off against Nottingham Forest in his second competitive outing for the club back in August, and has been on the comeback trail ever since.

Jurrien Timber picked up an ACL injury on his Premier League debut (Picture: Getty)

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‘And he took a big step forward in his recovery when he underwent some ball work on the pitches out in Dubai this week, which our cameras captured.’

Mikel Arteta, quizzed about Timber last month, said: ‘He is doing very well. Obviously he’s going through a really significant injury but he’s flying to be fair, the stage he is right now.

‘[He’s recovering] very fast. The way he works every single day is incredibly satisfying to watch.’

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A big boost for the north Londoners.