England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed the real reason why Ben White was once again left out of the England squad after confirming he had held talks with the defender about a possible return to the national team set-up. Tuchel made many surprise inclusions in the 26 he called up for the games against Andorra and Senegal, with the most notable being Ivan Toney, who makes his first appearance since Euro 2024.
However, despite the Saudi Pro League striker's shock comeback, there was no place for White, despite being part of an Arsenal side that made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League. And Tuchel has now explained why that is the case.
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White Left Out of Squad Ahead of Becoming a Father
Tuchel confirmed that the defender remained in his plans
Speaking during his squad announcement press conference, Tuchel confirmed that he had spoken with White about a potential return and that the reason for his absence on this occasion was that the player was due to become a father during the camp.
"He made very strong progress. We had a talk and we decided that at the moment this is not the moment - because he will become a father very soon. The baby is due during the camp. We wish him all the best for that."
White has not been seen in England colours since leaving the squad during the 2022 World Cup, where it was claimed there had been a falling out between him and a member of Gareth Southgate's backroom staff. Southgate would later confirm that the 27-year-old did not want to be considered for future squads under his regime.
Since Tuchel's arrival in 2025, the door has been left open from both sides for White to make a return, but as of yet, the Arsenal man has yet to adorn the white of England again.
Injuries and the form of Jurrien Timber have meant that the Englishman has struggled for game time in comparison to previous seasons, featuring just 16 times in the Premier League with only 33% of his appearances coming in the starting XI.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 23/05/2025