Ben White ruled out for ‘a few months’ after undergoing surgery

Arsenal defender Ben White will be ruled out of action for “a few months” as he recovers from surgery, manager Mikel Arteta has revealed.

The 27-year-old full-back started the Gunners' final match before the international break, the 1-1 draw at Chelsea, completing 90 minutes in his seventh league start of the season.

During the two-week break, White underwent what Arsenal called a 'minor surgical procedure' on a knee problem, which Arteta has now confirmed will keep him out for the foreseeable future.

“Ben White will unfortunately be out for months,” he said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's clash with Nottm Forest.

'They have been different struggles, never the same.

“We had to make a decision, it hasn't improved in recent weeks. We know Ben is going to push every limit, but it got to a point where we had to protect the player.

“We decided to do surgery, he agreed and that will keep him out for a few months.

“We have to see how he responds after the operation. I don't expect it to take six months, but I can't say exactly how long it will be.”

White has been an almost ever-present in Arsenal's backline since his arrival in 2021. He has missed just seven Premier League games in his first three seasons and has featured in nine of Arsenal's 11 so far this season.

Defensive issues have already plagued the Gunners this season, with Jurrien Timber, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu all struck by injury at various times, but Arteta felt a crumb of comfort that the rest of his backline was finally shaking off these issues.

“It's a challenge. It's something we didn't expect at all,” he said. “His availability in the defensive line was about the best, with Gabriel and William Saliba.

'But we will find alternatives. There are positives – Declan [Rice] is back, Bukayo [Saka] is back, Jurrien is in a good place, Riccardo Calafiori is in a good place and there is a lot of good news.”

Arteta will play his 250th Arsenal match on Saturday against Nottingham Forest, who are level on points in the Premier League thanks to the Gunners' four-match winless run in the competition.

The international break gave the manager a chance to reflect on what was behind those recent results. While identifying areas he wants to improve, the 42-year-old believes Arsenal have not been as bad as two points from their last four games. can suggest.

He said: “We have analyzed everything we have done. Have the opponents been superior to us, is that the reason we have not won games? The clear answer is no.”

“Should we have won more of those games? The answer is yes. Do I like what our team is doing, the answer is yes, but we have to improve certain things. Especially defending and attacking the penalty area.”

“In general, I can think of a lot of things, but I need to understand how the players are doing. The only way to do that, apart from contacting them on the phone, is when they come back.

“And the energy from the staff and players yesterday was incredible. That's the joy of being on this journey with these guys.

“They love being here, they love being back with us, and that immediately brings the energy. It's always good to paint the picture and make sure we're on the right track.”