Arsenal are back in action this week with an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Southampton at St Mary's on Saturday night
Ben White of England during the international friendly match between England and Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on March 27, 2026 in London, England.
Ben White returned to international duty this month(Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Arsenal have a battle on their hands with three trophies still to play for this season and various injury worries to contend with. A total of 12 Gunners returned to north London prematurely during the international break for treatment ahead of the Premier League's return in April.
Mikel Arteta's side have an FA Cup quarter-final coming up on Saturday night against Southampton and the manager could be forced to make a number of changes. Big stars like Declan Rice, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and William Saliba all pulled out of their national team squads to return to the club.
With just seven games left of the Premier League season, it looks like Arteta is closing in on his first league title since taking the reins in 2019. Fans will hope that the Gunners can cling to their nine-point cushion in order to lift the trophy in May.
Calls for major Arsenal ban
Gabby Agbonlahor is adamant that Arsenal's injured stars should be banned from domestic games if they have pulled out of international duty.
A total of 11 players have withdrawn from their respective national teams. They include Saliba, Rice, Eze, Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, Leoandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke.
The former Aston Villa star was discussing the tense title race between the Gunners and Manchester City when the topic of the departing Arsenal stars came up.
He said: "If I was part of the Premier League and I was making a decision, I would bring in a new rule, you miss the next Premier League game available if you pull out of international duty.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice of Arsenal interact during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on March 01, 2026 in London, England.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are two of many Arsenal stars to pull out of international duty(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
"I tell you something, players will stop pulling out. Playing for your country is an honour. If I'm Harry Kane, I'm speaking about this and saying, 'Come on, guys, let's not go back to what we were doing four or five years ago where players are pulling out non-stop.'
"I get it, Arteta is doing everything possible to win these trophies. Their next game after the international break is the FA Cup against Southampton.
"I'm just not keen on players pulling out of international duty. It's an honour to play for your country. It doesn't sit right with me."
New White theory emerges
Ben White of England looks on during an England training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on March 30, 2026 in Enfield, England.
Ben White left the England camp at the 2022 World Cup(Image: Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
talkSPORT star Adrian Durham believes that Ben White didn't do his England homework during the 2022 World Cup which led to his public exit from the squad.
The experienced defender returned to international duty for the first time since his departure from the Three Lions four years ago. Thomas Tuchel called White up in place of the injured Jarell Quansah and he scored upon his return in a 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
However, the reasoning behind his England exit in 2022 continues to be highly-contested and Durham has an interesting theory. He said: "This is what I’m led to understand has happened with Ben White.
"The players were told to watch videos of opponents and they were given videos on their laptops, iPads, whatever it was. He decided not to and the England analysts knew, because they had the tech, who had and who hadn’t watched the videos.
"When asked about it, Ben White got really upset about it to the point where he quit England. If that is true, why on earth would Thomas Tuchel want him back in the squad when he’s not prepared to put the hard yards in to be as good as he possibly can against the opponents England are up against.
"If it’s not true, I apologise, but let’s have the flipping truth."
Content Image
Content Image