Ben White Ruled Out for Rest of Season: Arsenal Defender Misses Premier League Run-In and Champions League Final Against PSG

Arsenal’s defensive injury crisis has deepened following confirmation that Ben White will play no further part in the 2025-26 season. The 28-year-old England international suffered suspected medial collateral ligament damage to his right knee during the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 Premier League victory over West Ham on Sunday, leaving the club short of options at right-back at the most critical stage of the campaign.

Speaking after the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta offered a bleak assessment of the defender’s condition. “He doesn’t look good at all,” Arteta stated, signalling that White’s participation in the remaining fixtures was unlikely. The injury is a particularly damaging blow given that White had only recently returned to the squad following a previous spell on the sidelines, stepping in to address an existing crisis caused by the absence of fellow right-back Jurrien Timber, who also remains unavailable.

White’s latest setback continues a difficult spell for the defender, whose availability has been severely disrupted over the past 18 months. During the 2024-25 season, he missed three months of action after undergoing knee surgery. This term, despite accumulating 30 appearances across all competitions, he has managed just nine Premier League starts, his involvement largely dictated by the fitness issues of those around him and his own recurring problems.

The timing compounds the pressure on Arsenal, who are chasing their first English league title in 22 years with just two Premier League fixtures remaining. The Gunners host Burnley on May 18 before travelling to Crystal Palace on the final day, May 24. Beyond the domestic run-in, Arsenal are preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris on May 30 — a fixture that now arrives with their right-back options severely depleted.

With both White and Timber unavailable, Arteta faces difficult decisions over how to configure his defensive unit for the three remaining matches. The situation will likely require a positional reshuffle or the promotion of squad depth options to cover the role during what is arguably the most consequential fortnight in the club’s recent history.

White’s injury record underlines the physical demands placed on defenders across a congested schedule. Having made his first senior England appearances in recent years, the Brighton academy graduate has struggled to maintain consistency at club level due to fitness setbacks, limiting his ability to cement a regular starting position despite his quality when available. Arsenal’s medical staff will now assess the full extent of the knee damage, though the club has not issued a formal timeline for his return to fitness ahead of the start of next season.