Ben White is set to miss the remainder of Arsenal’s season with a ligament injury in his right knee.
White, who went down in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at West Ham on Sunday, is believed to have suffered medial collateral ligament damage and would therefore miss Premier League games against Burnley and Crystal Palace before the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
It leaves the Gunners with a right back problem ahead of a history-defining few weeks in May. Jurrien Timber has also been injured.
White was forced off in the first half at the London Stadium but his injury drew unusual comments from co-commentator Gary Neville on Sky Sports, who said he had ‘hurt himself’ in a challenge.
‘Ben White just hangs his leg there. It’s poor,’ Neville said. ‘He’s got to be stronger than that. He’s hurt himself there.
Ben White is treated by Arsenal’s medical staff after going down injured against West Ham
‘That’s easily prevented if you go in strong and with a real sturdy block. He’s hung his leg out in pretty weak fashion, you’re asking for trouble.’
White, 28, had been challenging West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville when injury struck. Should his MCL injury be confirmed it would also put his chances of playing for England at the World Cup in severe doubt.
He had started all five of Arsenal’s most-recent matches in Timber’s absence. Cristhian Mosquera now looks best placed to deputise after Mikel Arteta’s brief failed experiment of playing Declan Rice at right back for the rest of Sunday’s second half.
Gary Neville had pinned blame for the injury on White himself and his ‘pretty weak’ challenge
Neville later added: ‘Ben White will regret that because that could see him out of the World Cup.
‘Ben White will regret that because that could see him out of the World Cup.
‘We don’t know, we haven’t got the diagnosis yet, but they can be four to six-week injuries which would obviously be a big problem for Ben White in terms of the World Cup and the Champions League final.
‘Let’s hope it’s not that bad but that type of injury comes from that challenge.’
