MikelArtetatalked about the fitness issues that have plagued a former **Brighton**player.
**Ben White**moved from the Seagulls to **Arsenal**in 2021, and his move to the role of a right back has brought the best out of his game in a trio with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns. However, he has struggled for form and fitness since a knee surgery, and Jurrien Timber has taken his place as the first-choice option in the position with his defensive skill.
White was on the right track in pre-season, playing as a starter in the 1-0 win over **Man United**on the opening matchday of this Premier League campaign. Another setback has stalled his momentum, but Arteta still believes in his qualities when fit and hopes that he can contribute in the Carabao Cup.
“He had a setback and that hasn't helped, but I think in pre-season he was probably our best player. I think he played every game and he was in great form and we need him, because when Ben is at the level that he can show, he's a top player for us, a player that drives the team in a different way, gives us a different threat on that flank as well and we need him at his best.
“It was an injury that kept him out for a few weeks. We have to manage his load and he didn't have the rhythm to do that. The reason why he's not been playing is to manage that. He's in a good place now, he's been training recently and his feeling has been very good and he will have minutes to play.
“We want to protect our players, we’re never going to expose players if we know that we're going to damage them for the future. Ben, I mean, he will play with anything.
“You really have to scratch and ask him: ‘Are you ok, are you ok?' because if not, he won't tell you because he wants to play every game, which is great. But with that injury, it didn't allow him to have that consistency, and hopefully now he's going to get that rhythm because the team needs him.
“There are still a lot of months to go, and in football, everything can change one way or the other, and if Ben wants to do [make the World Cup], if Thomas Tuchel believes he's the right player, I'm happy for him. He will have here a lot of minutes, a lot of opportunities and obviously his background.”