Arsenal have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of their Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, with Ben White reportedly ruled out for a big period.
White appeared near tears and in some discomfort as he hobbled off the pitch in the primary half of Arsenal’s dramatic victory over West Ham, as Mikel Arteta’s men restored their five-point lead at the highest of the Premier League table.
Arteta confirmed shortly after the ultimate whistle that White’s injury – sustained during a challenge with Crysencio Summerville – ‘didn’t look good in any respect’ and the versatile defender was pictured wearing a brace on his right knee as he left the London Stadium.
Based on The Sun, White has suffered a suspected MCL injury, set to rule him out of the rest of the Gunners’ season, each domestically and in Europe, in addition to England’s World Cup campaign later this summer – had he been chosen.
Arsenal have two all-important league matches remaining against Burnley (May 18) and Crystal Palace (May 24) , before heading to Budapest for this yr’s Champions League final versus PSG, the holders, on May 30.
It leaves Arteta with an almighty selection headache at right-back given Jurrien Timber remains to be yet to return from a groin problem which has kept the Dutchman sidelined for nearly two months.
Declan Rice initially dropped back from midfield to fill in on the correct side of Arsenal’s defence following White’s withdrawal on Sunday. Nonetheless, Arteta modified it again on the halfway stage, with Cristhian Mosquera coming on for Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly switching to left-back.
It subsequently got here to light that Calafiori also needed to be removed attributable to an unspecified injury concern, though the Italian’s condition shouldn’t be regarded as overly serious.
‘We needed to make one other change with Ricci,’ Arteta said of Calafiori’s substitution at half-time.
It’s been a frustrating couple of seasons for White from each a form and fitness perspective, with the previous Brighton man unavailable for a complete of 28 matches last term attributable to knee problems.
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Asked for an update on Timber’s injury ahead of Arsenal’s defeat of West Ham, Arteta told reporters: ‘That’s been probably probably the most difficult thing to administer with the player, with myself as well.
‘We didn’t expect it to take so long, and in the mean time, he’s not fit to play.’
Discussing Arsenal’s defensive injury woes on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, former Manchester United midfielderPaul Scholes suggested Rice was perhaps best ‘suited’ to doing a job at right-back.
‘Roy Keane played right-back for 2 thirds of a season,’ Nicky Butt explained, to which Scholes replied: ‘He played there loads because United had Bryan Robson and Paul Ince.
‘Roy played there loads and was sensible.
‘Declan Rice looks like he would suit playing at right-back to me. He can play there. He’s not an enormous creator anyway.’
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