ENGLAND star Ben White has been forced to withdraw from the World Cup squad and return to England “for personal reasons”.
The 25-year-old Arsenal defender is not expected to return to Qatar after being included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad following an impressing season in the Premier League.
White did not feature in England’s first two Group B matches and missed Tuesday’s 3-0 win against Wales through illness.
#ThreeLions defender @ben6white has left England’s training base in Al Wakrah and returned home for personal reasons.
— England (@England) November 30, 2022
A Football Association statement on Wednesday evening read: “Ben White has left England’s training base in Al Wakrah and returned home for personal reasons.
“The Arsenal defender is not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament.
“We ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time.”
Can England replace Ben White?
No replacements can be made at this stage of the World Cup and Arsenal shared the FA’s statement on their social media channels, along with the caption “We’re all with you, Ben” and a love heart emoji.
White was at his second major tournament with England, having been included in the squad that reached last summer’s European Championship final.
