Arsenal Face Anxious Wait as Ben White Injury Timeline Revealed

Arsenal are reportedly worried that multi-position defender Ben White may remain out of action until at least mid-January due to injury.

White picked up a hamstring injury just over thirty minutes into Saturday's 2–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers and was forced off the pitch. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta couldn't offer much information following the match, requesting patience while medical assessments were completed.

Following additional medical evaluations, BBC Sport reports that Arsenal "worry" White's time away will last a "minimum of four weeks" as he recovers from the injury. The most optimistic projection would see the 28-year-old absent for seven or eight matches spanning three separate tournaments. The duration could extend beyond that.

Arsenal have four additional fixtures scheduled before December concludes, starting with Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, followed by a Carabao Cup quarterfinal clash with Crystal Palace three days later. During the holiday period between Christmas and New Year, the Gunners welcome Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa for consecutive league matches at the Emirates Stadium.

An away fixture at Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round on Jan. 11 has been scheduled alongside additional Premier League encounters against Bournemouth, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest through Jan. 17—just over four weeks from today.

Arsenal Games Ben White Could Miss

Arsenal Face Return to Defensive Injury Problems

The situation appeared to be improving for Arteta regarding defensive player availability. White, who had been an unused substitute for most of the campaign, had recently been earning starts due to Jurriën Timber being needed to fill gaps in central defense.

William Saliba made his comeback from injury in the Wolves match, enabling Piero Hincapié to shift to the left side in place of suspended Riccardo Calafiori. When White departed the field, Myles Lewis-Skelly, the sole defender available on the bench, was brought on as his replacement.

Calafiori will return for the upcoming weekend, but White's forced absence over the next several weeks leaves Arsenal with minimal defensive depth beyond their current starting lineup. Gabriel remains unavailable until at least late December, while utility defender Cristhian Mosquera suffered an ankle problem against Brentford earlier this month and, similar to White, may not be fit until mid-January.