Ben White says he plans to train “every day” this summer in a bid to be fully fit for the start of next season.
The right-back, who nursed a knee issue for much of the previous campaign, eventually underwent surgery in November and spent three months on the sidelines recovering.
Since returning, his minutes have been carefully managed. He’s featured in four of Arsenal’s last six Premier League games, often filling in for Jurrien Timber, who spent most of last season recovering from a ruptured ACL and was being kept fresh for Champions League clashes against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
White now faces a battle with Timber to reclaim his spot as the club’s first-choice right-back — a situation he believes can only be positive for the team.
“Seeing JT come back from an ACL, he’s had to play every game and has done so well. It would have been ideal if I could have helped and maybe taken a little bit of stress off him,” White told the _[Mirror](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-news-ben-white-england-35240339)_.
“I think it’s a great situation for everyone, we’re two completely different full-backs so it’s nice to have different options and different qualities to bring to the team.”
Reflecting on his spell out, the 27-year-old added: “I’ve never really been injured before. I didn’t really know how to deal with it as well as I probably could have.
“It’s just so long, not doing what you love and not being able to help the team was tough. I’m back now, feeling good and I think it’s about getting ready for next season.
“I’m having a baby this summer, so I’m going to be in England, training every day and getting back to my best. It’s something so exciting and probably the most valuable thing you can have happen.”
White also confirmed that he’s made himself available for England selection following positive conversations with new manager Thomas Tuchel. The defender has not featured for the national team since a reported falling out with Gareth Southgate’s staff during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Elsewhere, Martin Odegaard says Arsenal are fully focused on ending the season on a high with wins against Newcastle and Southampton.
The Gunners have won just three of their last ten league fixtures, a run that brought a premature end to their title challenge and opened the door for rivals to overtake them in the race for second.
“Right now our goal is clear – when you can’t finish first your aim is to get second,” Ødegaard told the official matchday programme.
“We’ve had some tough games against Newcastle this season and we haven’t won against them for a while now, so we are determined to put that right today – it’s something we are all focused on.
“It’s our last home game – we have to finish strongly here. The reality is we didn’t do enough to finish top, so we have to at least finish strongly, and win these last two games to go into the summer with a good feeling.”