Arsenal defender Ben White is set to miss the rest of the season, including the Champions League final, with his chances of playing at the World Cup also in serious doubt.
White limped off during Sunday’s controversial 1-0 win at West Ham and The Athletic report the Gunners fear he has damaged the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
If that initial prognosis is confirmed he is likely to face several weeks on the sidelines, ruling him out of Arsenal’s remaining league games, against Burnley and Crystal Palace, and the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30.
Arsenal defender White’s World Cup in the balance
The severity of the injury will determine his World Cup fate.
A Grade One tear can take up to three weeks to heal but a Grade Two would require around five weeks. England’s first World Cup game is against Croatia on June 17.
White was recalled to the England squad for the friendly games with Uruguay and Japan in March. He came on with 20 minutes to go against the South Americans, opening the scoring and then conceding a penalty in a 1-1 draw.
However, jeers could be heard from some of the home fans as the defender was introduced. He was playing in his first international match since leaving the 2022 World Cup squad for personal reasons and subsequently “didn’t want to be considered” for an international call-up for the remainder of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as manager.
Three Lions coach Thomas Tuchel has spoken positively of White on several occasions this season but it seems unlikely he will go to the United States, Canada and Mexico unless he’s fully fit when the tournament gets underway on June 11.
Tuchel names his squad on May 22.
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