Arsenal defender Ben White unlikely to return for World Cup knockouts

Ben White missed out Tuesday’s 3-0 win against Wales through illness.

Arsenal defender Ben White is not part of England’s squad as he has left England camp due to personal reasons. It is likely that he won’t take part in the knockout stage of the event.

The 25-year-old was included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for Qatar following an excellent start to the season with Arsenal.

Meanwhile, he did not feature in England’s first two Group matches against Iran and USA. He also missed Tuesday’s 3-0 win against Wales through illness.

A Football Association statement on Wednesday evening read: “Ben White has left England’s training base in Al Wakrah and returned home for personal reasons.

“The Arsenal defender is not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament.

“We ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time.”

No replacements can be made at this stage of the World Cup and Arsenal shared the FA’s statement on their social media channels, along with the caption “We’re all with you, Ben” and a love heart emoji.

White was playing his second major tournament for England as he was also part of England’s impressive campaign in EURO 2020. Southgate’s initial selection had remained intact until the White news.

England will take on Senegal in the round-of-16 encounter of the World Cup 2022. The Three Lions topped their group with two wins and one draw.

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