Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has delivered an update on Ben White's fitness following Sunday's Premier League clash against Leeds United.
The talented defender has missed last weekend's 2-1 victory against West Ham United through a hamstring problem and was unable to make the matchday squad during today's 2-1 win over Leeds after some fans spotted that he was absent from the most recent round of training pictures. The Gunners are due to take on local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in one of the most highly-anticipated north London derbies in recent memory and Arteta has now given an update on White's availability ahead of his side's trip to N17.
"I think so, he’s been starting to do a little bit of work now on the pitch and we want everybody available because we know that game is so important", the Spaniard replied when asked if the England international would be fit to face Spurs. Arsenal's win on Sunday had an anxious finish for Arteta, something that seemed unlikely when the Gunners found themselves 2-0 up against ten-men Leeds after just 27 minutes.
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When asked if his side had been made to work hard for the win, he said: "Yes, considering the way that we started I think we were electric, so determined, so intensive, we scored two good goals, created chances and didn’t allow anything to happen around our box. And after that, obviously, the red card presents a different match where they change completely their behaviour and how they set up and we have to manage the game in a different way.
"I think for a lot of phases we did well, but we needed to score the third goal and we had the chances to do so and then the accident happen when the first time that they were through at a set-piece we conceded a goal and it’s game on and some nerves have to handled."
