Arsenal defender Ben White ruled out for rest of season due to 'significant' knee injury suffered against West Ham
Updated 12/05/2026 at 16:44 GMT+1
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Arsenal defender Ben White has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a ”significant” knee injury, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
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White suffered the injury during the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday and left the stadium wearing a knee brace.
He will miss Arsenal’s final two Premier League matches against Burnley and Crystal Palace, as well as the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
It is not known whether White will be fit to play for England at the World Cup, which starts on on June 11.
A statement from Arsenal read: ”Further to Sunday’s match at West Ham United, subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that Ben White has sustained a significant medial knee ligament injury, which will rule him out for the remainder of this season.
”Our medical team are now managing Ben’s recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting the aim of Ben being ready for the start of our pre-season preparations.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will now have a selection dilemma at right-back, with Jurrien Timber also sidelined since mid-March.
It remains to be seen if the Dutchman will return before the end of the season, but Cristhian Mosquera, who has played mostly as a centre-back following his arrival from Valencia last summer, could deputise in the position.
Arteta switched Declan Rice to right-back after White's injury at West Ham, bringing Martin Zubimendi into midfield.
That experiment proved short-lived, as Rice was quickly returned to midfield and Mosquera introduced at right-back.
White, who has only made 12 Premier League appearances in an injury-hit season, will hope he is back fit in time for the World Cup.
The 28-year-old returned to the international fold in 2026 for the first time since 2022, featuring in friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will look to navigate their seismic final fixtures without a key defender.
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Victories in their final two league games against Burnley and Crystal Palace will see The Gunners seal a first Premier League title in over two decades.
That will be followed by the opportunity for European success and a first-ever Champions League trophy in the club's history in Budapest.
Arteta was delighted in the aftermath of the dramatic win at West Ham, with his side closing in on glory.
"I feel so happy, so proud," he said. "Relieved as well, because we knew the difficulty of the game, but we've done it. It's been a phenomenal week in every sense. What the team has done, the way we've played, the way we have approached games.
"Then what our supporters have done for us this season, all week and today as well. It's phenomenal, I think it changes the energy of the team and we have to live in the present now and just think about Burnley because that's the only important thing."
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