Mikel Arteta faces a defensive crisis after a significant knee injury sidelined the versatile right-back for the title run-in and a historic Champions League final in Budapest.
Arsenal have confirmed Ben White will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a significant medial knee ligament injury during Sunday’s Premier League win at West Ham.
The club said subsequent assessments and specialist reviews had confirmed the extent of the injury, with White now ruled out for the final weeks of Arsenal’s campaign. Arsenal’s medical staff are managing his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with the aim of having him ready for the start of pre-season preparations.
It is a major setback for Mikel Arteta at a decisive stage of the season.
White was forced off in the first half at the London Stadium after a challenge with Crysencio Summerville, with Martin Zubimendi introduced in the 28th minute and Declan Rice initially moved across to right-back.
The reshuffle underlined the immediate problem White’s injury created. Arsenal were already without Jurrien Timber for the trip to West Ham, with Arteta saying before the game that the defender had “no chance” of being available. White’s absence now removes another senior right-sided option for the run-in.
Arteta admitted after the 1-0 win that the early signs were not encouraging.
“We don’t know, but he doesn’t look good at all,” he said in his post-match press conference. “So he needs some further testing tomorrow probably and I know a bit more.”
Arsenal now have that clarity, and it is the news they would have feared.
White’s importance to Arsenal is not limited to his defensive work. At right-back, he gives Arteta’s side balance in possession, supports Bukayo Saka on the outside and can tuck into narrower positions when Arsenal are trying to control transitions. His timing, recovery speed and understanding of when to step into midfield have been central to the way Arsenal manage games from the back.
Losing him for the rest of the season forces Arteta to find a stable solution quickly. Mosquera is an option after being used from the bench at West Ham, while Rice’s brief spell at right-back showed the kind of emergency thinking Arsenal may have to consider if other defenders are unavailable. Timber’s recovery will also become even more important, but Arsenal will not want to rush another player back at this stage.
The timing could hardly be more awkward. Arsenal are still fighting through the final stretch of the Premier League title race and have a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30. White’s injury removes another of Arteta’s options at right-back
The focus now shifts to his rehabilitation and to how Arsenal manage the gap he leaves. White’s season is over, but Arsenal’s is not, and Arteta must now solve a right-back problem that has arrived at the worst possible point of the campaign.