Arsenal defender Ben White ruled out for remainder of season and World Cup following knee injury
The 28-year-old will miss the final two Premier League matches and the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain after sustaining the injury during Sunday's victory over West Ham.
Arsenal have confirmed that defender Ben White will miss the remainder of the 2025–26 season following a significant medial ligament injury to his knee. The 28-year-old sustained the damage in the first half of the Gunners' 1–0 victory against West Ham at London Stadium on Sunday.
The club statement indicates that the injury will prevent White from participating in the final two Premier League fixtures, which secure the club's first league title in 22 years, as well as the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain on 30 May. White was seen leaving the pitch in a knee brace immediately after the incident, marking a significant blow to the team's title-winning campaign.
Consequently, the England international will also be absent from the national squad for the World Cup campaign. This absence is particularly notable given that White had recently returned to the England setup after more than three years, having scored in a friendly draw against Uruguay earlier in March. Manager Thomas Tuchel is scheduled to name his squad for the tournament in North America on 22 May, a date that will officially exclude White.
Arsenal's medical team are currently managing White's recovery with a specific aim of having him ready for pre-season preparations. However, the severity of the injury means there is no guarantee he will achieve this goal, and the exact timeline for his return to fitness remains dependent on the progress of his rehabilitation programme.
The injury removes a key component of the partnership between White and Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side for the final stretch of the season. With fellow right-back Jurrien Timber still unavailable due to a groin injury, manager Mikel Arteta has been forced to deploy Declan Rice at right-back before bringing on 21-year-old Cristhian Mosquera against West Ham.
White made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, starting the last five games but only nine league games. His absence represents a personal blow to the defender, who had put in an excellent performance in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid just prior to this setback.
