Arsenal defender Ben White is set for a spell on the sidelines after having surgery during the international break.
White missed a chunk of games in October against Paris Saint-Germain, Leicester and Southampton before returning to action amid the Gunners’ injury crisis at the back.
The English defender has reportedly been playing through pain in recent weeks, having only managed 19 minutes against Newcastle, before managing the full 90 minutes against Inter Milan and Chelsea.
And with club football now hold, Sky Sports have now confirmed the 27-year-old has now undergone a “minor procedure” to fix the knee issue he has been carrying.
BREAKING: Ben White has undergone a minor surgical procedure to resolve a knee issue he has been carrying 🚨pic.twitter.com/aclkwN055s
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 13, 2024
Some unconfirmed reports suggest White could be out for as many as eight weeks, which will come as a blow to Mikel Arteta after a number of defensive injuries this season.
The Gunners are currently without Riccardo Califiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu due to injury, with Gabriel and William Saliba also recently returning from injury and suspension.
Why is White not involved with England?
White will not have any competitive football to play over the next 10 days due to the international break.
The defender continues to not be involved with the England senior side after asking not to be considered under previous manager Gareth Southgate, with his snub continuing under interim Lee Carsley.
He won the last of his four England caps in March 2022 and has not been picked for a squad since leaving the Three Lions camp at the Qatar World Cup due to “personal reasons”.
When asked about White’s involvement in September, Carsley said: “I’ve not planned to, no.
“We spoke about this in the squad selection. Every player that is eligible to play for England is in with a chance. As far as I’m aware he asked to not be contacted. If that changes, that will change.
“I think it is important that we have real competition all over the pitch, and the more players we have available to pick from the better it is.”
