Ben White's knee injury has left Arsenal trying to solve a right-back problem that was already becoming awkward. He came off after a first-half substitution at the London Stadium, then needed help from a physio around the perimeter of the pitch with his right knee in a brace. Mikel Arteta did not dress it up afterwards: "We don't know but it does not look good at all."
White had already missed 10 matches for club and country this season before this latest setback. Even when he has played, his availability has not been straightforward. The Ben White numbers in the Premier League tell the same story, with only 12 appearances and 713 minutes across the league campaign.
What Arsenal can do next
The issue is made worse by Jurriën Timber's continued absence. Arteta said before West Ham that Timber's rehabilitation would need to accelerate considerably if he was to play any minutes, and after the game he added: "There's still a fair bit to do, so everything has to be smooth and quick if they want to have a chance to play any minutes."
That leaves Arsenal with makeshift options rather than a clean solution. The alternatives described here are Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice or 19-year-old Joshua Nichols. None of them are confirmed starters, and that matters with Paris Saint Germain on May 30 approaching fast.
Arsenal at least have a short breather before the next league game. They do not play again until May 18, when they host Burnley, and that eight-day gap is their first such run of rest since gameweek four. But the bigger question is what Arteta does on the right side if White cannot recover quickly and Timber is still unavailable. The Champions League final date is close enough that Arsenal may have to pick from the emergency list rather than the first-choice one.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
