LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: Ben White of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Ben White has not featured for England since March 2022 (Getty)
Thomas Tuchel says he will ‘reach out’ to Arsenal defender Ben White over a potential return to the England side.
White left England’s World Cup camp in 2022 after the group stage to return home for ‘personal reasons’.
The 27-year-old has four caps with England and has not featured since March 2022.
In March this year, Gareth Southgate revealed that White had made himself unavailable for selection.
Reports have claimed that White fell out with Southgate’s assistant, Steve Holland, during the Qatar World Cup and was reluctant to play for England while he held such an influential position.
World Cup 2026 Qualifying Draw
Group A: Germany/Italy (winner), Slovakia, NORTHERN IRELAND, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal/Denmark (loser), Greece, SCOTLAND, Belarus.
Group D: France/Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain/Netherlands (winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal/Denmark (winner), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Spain/Netherlands (loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany/Italy (loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, WALES, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France/Croatia (loser), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
But Tuchel, who was appointed as England’s new manager in October, says the door is now open for the Arsenal defender to return to the national team.
‘I will reach out to him,’ Tuchel said on Friday.
‘It should be a clean start and a clear narrative.
‘I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know, ‘okay, the boss is there from January’.’
Earlier on Friday, England were drawn in a World Cup 2026 qualification group with Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
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