Timidity and confusion about broken knee (8)
I believe the answer is:
meekness
'timidity' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'confusion about broken knee' is the wordplay.
'confusion' becomes 'mess' (I've seen this before**).
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'broken' indicates anagramming the letters.
'knee' is an anagram of 'eekn'.
'mess' placed around 'eekn' is 'MEEKNESS'.
'and' is the link.
(Other definitions for meekness that I've seen before include "Deference" , "Submissive humility" , "submission" , "Modesty, humility" , "Formally inform" .)