England defender Ben White has managed to avoid knee surgery after sustaining a serious injury during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over West Ham. Despite this, his participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup remains highly uncertain.
Arsenal confirmed on Tuesday that the 28-year-old defender suffered a significant medial knee ligament injury, which will sideline him for the rest of the season as the club pursues its Premier League and Champions League objectives.
White’s return to the England national team earlier this year was unexpected, having not played for the side since 2022 amid reports of disagreements with the former coaching staff. Since his comeback, he has appeared in matches against Uruguay and Japan, even scoring in a 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
England’s head coach Thomas Tuchel is scheduled to announce the World Cup squad on May 22. The team will prepare with warm-up fixtures against New Zealand on June 6 in Tampa and Costa Rica on June 10 in Orlando before the tournament begins.
England’s Group L campaign kicks off against Croatia on June 17 in Arlington, followed by matches against Ghana in Boston on June 23 and Panama in Foxborough on June 27.
