Arsenal's Ben White 'out for season' and major World Cup doubt as new injury detail emerges

Arsenal defender Ben White will miss the Champions League final and is a major doubt for the World Cup due to the knee injury he sustained against West Ham United, according to a report.

The right-back was withdrawn in the first half of Sunday's 1-0 Premier League win after coming off worse in a 50-50 with Hammers attacker Crysencio Summerville.

White had to be helped back to the Arsenal dugout by a physio, and Mikel Arteta immediately conceded that the England international's issue "did not look good".

White was seen walking through the mixed zone at the London Stadium with a knee brace, but no crutches, offering hope that his problem was not as serious as first feared.

However, The Sun reports that the 28-year-old will not play again this season, having sustained a suspected medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.

Arsenal's Ben White 'out for season' as new injury detail revealed

White will therefore not only miss the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30, but also Arsenal's two remaining Premier League games against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

The defender's issue could also jeopardise his chances of representing England at the World Cup, just a couple of months after he was reintegrated into the Three Lions setup under Thomas Tuchel.

White made his first England appearance in over three years in March, coming off the bench to score the opener in a 1-1 draw with Uruguay before starting the 1-0 friendly defeat to Japan.

However, with Tuchel naming his final 26-man squad on Friday, White is now seen as a long shot for the World Cup, where he would likely play second fiddle to Reece James anyway.

White ends his 2025-26 season with a total of one goal and two assists from 30 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, who have the defender under contract until 2028.

How can Arsenal replace Ben White in Champions League final?

The fact that White had to be helped around the London Stadium pitch was an immediate indication of a moderately severe issue, so it is no real surprise to hear that the Englishman will not be involved in Budapest.

White's absence presents a major problem for Arteta, though, as Arsenal are still missing first-choice right-back Jurrien Timber, who has not played since before the March international break because of a groin injury.

Arteta could not say for certain whether Timber would be back before the end of the season, so Cristhian Mosquera will likely be tasked with trying to keep Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet in the Champions League final.

Arteta did deploy Declan Rice at right-back very briefly against West Ham, but that experiment did not pay dividends and should be avoided on May 30.

The only other natural alternative to White and Timber is 19-year-old Joshua Nichols, but the teenager has made just one senior appearance for Arsenal, in last year's EFL Cup win over Bolton Wanderers.