Arsenal's Ben White ruled out for season with World Cup dream in doubt

Arsenal defender Ben White has picked up a suspected MCL injury and is ruled out for the rest of the season
Arsenal defender Ben White has picked up a suspected MCL injury and is ruled out for the rest of the seasonReuters / Hannah Mckay

Arsenal defender Ben White has picked up a suspected MCL injury and is ruled out for the rest of the season.

White was pictured leaving the London Stadium wearing a brace on his right knee after Arsenal's narrow 1-0 win over West Ham as fans feared the worst for the England star. 

The 28-year-old was forced off in the first half after a collision with Hammers winger Crysencio Summerville, and now The Athletic confirmed that he will miss the rest of the campaign.

Ben White's season stats in the Premier League
Ben White's season stats in the Premier LeagueOpta by StatsPerform (photo by Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge)

This is due to a suspected medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, a band of tissue on the inner side of the knee that helps stiffen it.

This gives manager Mikel Arteta a huge selection headache ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday, May 30th, as he likely turns to Cristhian Mosquera to cover for White against champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Unlikely to be fit for World Cup

White’s injury also comes less than two weeks before Thomas Tuchel names his Three Lions squad for this summer's World Cup. 

He was recalled by the England boss in March, after almost four years away from the national team, in what was an impressive return.

More updates are set to be released on the extent of his injury, but reports claim that his World Cup hopes have now been crushed as Tuchel is unlikely to pick a player who picked up an injury just 31 days before this summer’s competition.

White has started all of Arsenal’s last five games, including both legs of their Champions League semi-final win over Atletico Madrid. He will be a major loss to the Gunners, who face Burnley on Monday before the Champions League final.

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