Arsenal Faces Concern As Key Defender Set For Surgery

Arsenal face being without defender, Ben White for a few weeks after he underwent a minor medical procedure to resolve a joint issue.

The 27-year-old has featured in the starting lineup for the Gunners’ last two matches against Chelsea and Inter, but he was absent for earlier encounters with Leicester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Southampton this season.

Having played through pain in recent weeks while Arsenal faced injuries to other players, he ultimately decided to undergo surgery during the November international break. This decision came as he continued to maintain his self-imposed exile from England duty.

White missed four matches earlier this season with his knee problem and had to be left out of the starting XI for the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United as a precaution.

His fitness issues were part of a larger issue for Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, who has also had to monitor knocks sustained by the likes of Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, and Takehiro Tomiyasu at the start of the campaign.

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were two of the nine players who withdrew from the Three Lions squad because of injuries.

Meanwhile, Martin Ødegaard chose not to join the Norway squad after recently making his first club start since August.

White’s potential absence would be a big blow for Arteta ahead of a number of important fixtures.

The North London giants will face Nottingham Forest, Sporting CP, and West Ham United once national team commitments conclude, as they urgently seek Premier League points after trailing nine points behind league leaders Liverpool.