Arteta did not hide his concern when asked about White’s condition, admitting the early signs were troubling. "He felt something in his hamstring and it is not good news," he said, confirming the injury was likely linked to White’s sudden increase in minutes after recovering from a knee issue. Arteta stressed that the defender had been pushed into a heavy workload because Arsenal simply "didn’t have any other solution" in recent matches.
The manager expanded on the wider trend, noting the club is caught in what he previously described as a "really dangerous circle" with injuries piling up across the squad. "Exactly that," he explained when asked whether White’s setback stemmed from the current squeeze on resources, adding that the defender had only just regained momentum.
Arteta also emphasised that the issue was not caused by overtraining but by the relentless match schedule combined with a thinning squad. He pointed out that players such as Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Leandro Trossard have all missed key periods recently, forcing others into increased responsibility. In White’s case, Arteta acknowledged the risk had backfired: "That’s Ben for sure," he concluded, signalling a likely spell on the sidelines.