Arsenal boost as Mikel Arteta considers putting Ben White straight back in squad just days after returning to training

MIKEL ARTETA is considering throwing Ben White consecutive backmost into the Arsenal squad – conscionable days aft returning to afloat grooming pursuing a genu operation.

The Gunners have been successful Dubai since Thursday greeting for a mid-season wintertime interruption – flying backmost to London connected Tuesday up of their Prem clash astatine Leicester connected Saturday.

One of the standout names successful the travelling radical retired successful the Middle East is right-back White, 27 – who has not played since November 10.

The versatile defender underwent genu surgery, having played done the symptom for weeks, with fears helium could beryllium retired for 5 oregon six months – but is present successful contention to diagnostic aft 3 months of rehab.

Arsenal’s medics predicted a speedy betterment from White, whose wounded grounds has been exemplary since joining the nine from Brighton successful the summertime of 2021 for £50million.

And they person been proven close with White up of docket and backmost successful afloat grooming with the archetypal squad successful a timely boost for the North Londoners.

Full-back is simply a presumption that Arteta has plentifulness of options successful with the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney to take from.

As a result, the Arsenal brag volition not instrumentality immoderate unnecessary risks – but is keen to get White backmost connected the seat to look the Foxes astatine the King Power Stadium.

Winger Bukayo Saka is besides retired successful Dubai with the squad, but has not been progressive successful training, alternatively continuing his rehab from hamstring country underwent conscionable earlier Christmas.

The England prima is owed backmost astatine the commencement of March, with Arsenal targeting the Champions League Last 16 archetypal limb connected either March 4 oregon 5 – oregon their travel to Old Trafford to look Manchester United successful the Prem connected March 9.

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But the wounded issues proceed to heap up for Arteta with Gabriel Martinelli perchance retired for a period with a hamstring issue.

The Brazilian hobbled disconnected successful the archetypal fractional of their 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final 2nd limb decision distant astatine Newcastle connected Wednesday.

There are hopes that Martinelli – who has besides flown retired to Dubai – tin defy that timeline and get backmost sooner up of the last run-in to the extremity of the season.

Martinelli joins Saka and striker Gabriel Jesus successful the aesculapian country – the second out for the remainder of 2025 pursuing an cognition connected an ACL rupture past month.

Arteta’s acceptable attacking options see Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and 17-year-old academy merchandise Ethan Nwaneri.