Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is currently without his first-choice right-back with Ben White out of action for a lengthy period. The defender underwent a minor procedure last month and will miss the rest of 2024.
White had been suffering with joint problems that had plagued his run in Arteta's team. The 27-year-old had made 12 appearances before his setback with a knee problem seeing him miss four games earlier in the season.
The decision was made in November to prevent him playing through pain and he is now on the pathway to recovery. There is no exact date for his return but the Gunners will be hopeful to have the attacking full-back available shortly after the turn of the year.
Here, we take a closer look inside the treatment room at the Emirates Stadium and the latest with regards to White's recovery:
What injury does White have?
White had been struggling with his knee for the majority of the 2024/25 season. The Englishman missed games against Leicester City, Southampton, Bolton and Paris Saint-Germain at the end of September and start of October.
It isn't the first time he has suffered with problems with his knees. He had been playing through the pain last season until the trip to Dublin allowed him some recovery.
What has Arteta said?
Confirming that White would be unavailable, the Gunners boss said: "Ben is going to be out for months. We had to make a decision in the last few weeks, unfortunately. It got to a point where we had to protect the player, and we decided to do the surgery."
Before Arsenal's trip to West Ham last weekend, Arteta provided an update on how the procedure went. He added: "Still early days - the surgery went really well; there is no reaction after that.
"He is improving day by day, but it is a process for the first four to six weeks, where we have to be really cautious and don't put any stress on that knee. Then we will see how quickly he can recover and how it reacts after that."
When could White return?
No timeframe has been provided on White's return but a number of reports have suggested he may be out until March. talkSPORT claimed he will 'make himself available' three months into the new year, meaning he could miss over 20 games.
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