Everybody knows the ups and downs that Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta have had in the domestic 2025/26 Premier League campaign as we again close in on a much wanted top flight title, but things had also been looking up for versatile defender Ben White.
The 28 year old England international centre half, and often right back, was probably odds on when it came to online betting sites and making Thomas Tuchel’s national side for the summer World Cup in North America having earned a recall to the group in March for the first time since 2022. However, in the game against West Ham United at the London Stadium earlier this month, the player was substituted in the 28th minute and replaced by Martin Zubimendi having sustained quite the serious looking injury.
With many fearing that he had picked up a very serious knee injury, it had already been confirmed that his season was now over and obviously his potential involvement in the England camp was now in doubt, but there has been some good news that although he sustained a ‘significant medial knee ligament injury’, he will not need surgery to fix the damage following his clash with Crysencio Summerville.
Having left the home of the Hammers in a protective knee brace, whilst it is a massive blow to both him, and Arsenal with two games remaining as we look to finally lift that much wanted trophy, the news could obviously have been far worse – but it is now a headache for gaffer Arteta as he joins Jurrien Timber on the sidelines and he has to again rejig the starting XI.
The current timeline for rehabilitation and recovery has him back in training for the pre season period ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, and there is an expectation that there will not be an extended absence that ticks through the first few weeks of the season. That does leave the England question up in the air until it is confirmed, but it is probably safe to say that he will not be on the flight, and he will be fully focused on both making his return to action.
The question there is in who will he be returning to action for, as over the past couple of weeks there has been not insignificant transfer window speculation rumour mill claims that he was one of David Moyes top targets to strengthen his Everton group during this off season. With the injury being nowhere near as severe as first feared, that is unlikely to put off their interest in him if it is genuine, and if anything it would make them slightly more confident of securing a deal and potentially a lower price in the next few weeks.
Everton are also unlikely to be the only side interested in his services should he ultimately be available, and from our point of view as we look to what we hope will be a title defence campaign, we would be looking to strengthen further and given his squad player status, he could be one we are willing to sacrifice to boost our budgets.
It was set to be an interesting summer to begin with, the injury will unlikely change that much.
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