Every Arsenal game that Ben White is expected to miss after new injury update
Arsenal are expected to be without Ben White for at least a month after he suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday’s win over Wolves.
A last-minute own-goal saw Arsenal beat Wolves 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, after what was a dismal display.
The Gunners failed to create much of anything going forward, testing Sam Johnstone only once before the ball spilt in off his back for the opener.
Declan Rice was left furious by Arsenal’s performance against Brentford, with the squad accepting after the game that their standards had fallen dramatically.
And in another blow, White was forced off injured in the first half, pulling up and feeling his hamstring after a sprint towards his own goal.
Ben White set for extended injury layoff
White looked back to his best against Brentford at the start of the month, constantly providing an option for Noni Madueke and finding an assist for Mikel Merino.
The Englishman’s form had come at a good time, too, with Cristhian Mosquera suffering an ankle injury in the same game and Gabriel and William Saliba already ruled out.
The latter made his return against Wolves, but the former two are not expected to be available for another few weeks yet.
And they will now be joined by White, after Tuesday’s update on the defender’s injury.
Fabrizio Romano reports that the 28-year-old will be absent for at least a month with his hamstring issue, with Arsenal hoping to have the defender back by mid-January.
For the time being, that leaves Mikel Arteta with just Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly and William Saliba to cover four positions.
Midfielder Christian Norgaard appeared in central defence against Club Brugge last week and could be considered as an alternative, with 16-year-old Marli Salmon likely to be protected.
What games will White miss?
White’s injury could not have come at a worse time. Arsenal are set for a bustling Christmas period, in which their title credentials will be put to the test.
A trip to Everton will come first, before three matches at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners will hope to progress past Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, before taking on Brighton and Aston Villa.
| Games Ben White will likely miss for Arsenal | Date |
| Everton (A) | 20 Dec |
| Crystal Palace (H) | 23 Dec |
| Brighton (H) | 27 Dec |
| Aston Villa (H) | 30 Dec |
| Bournemouth (A) | 3 Jan |
| Liverpool (H) | 8 Jan |
| Portsmouth (A) | 11 Jan |
| Nottingham Forest (A) | 17 Jan |
In January, Arsenal will travel to Bournemouth before returning home for a clash with Premier League champions Liverpool.
White will surely be unavailable for an away trip to Portsmouth in the FA Cup, with his first realistic chance of a return coming away against Nottingham Forest.
The defender will certainly hope to have returned by the time Arsenal host Manchester United towards the end of January.