Arsenal star Ben White set for role nobody saw coming as huge England announcement made

Ben White for Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)

Ben White has been named in the England squad for the first time in nearly four years. The Arsenal defender has replaced Jarell Quansah, who withdrew due to injury, as Thomas Tuchel steps up preparations for the World Cup in the summer.

The Three Lions boss has also called up Harvey Barnes, with Eberechi Eze nursing a calf problem . The Gunners midfielder was unexpectedly left out of the matchday squad for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon after failing a late fitness test.

Speaking to reporters after the defeat to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, Mikel Arteta announced Eze will undergo a 'another scan in six or seven days' to learn the true extend of the issue. In the absence of the former Crystal Palace star and Quansah, White and Barnes will look to impress Tuchel this week.

England host Uruguay on Friday evening before locking horns with Japan on Tuesday night. The Arsenal defender could make his first appearance for the Three Lions since March 2022, when he appeared in a couple of friendly wins over Switzerland and the Ivory Coast.

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White was named in Gareth Southgate's squad for the World Cup in 2022 before leaving the squad early. He was an unused substitute in each of the two opening group stage games against Iran and the United States, which England won 6-2 and drew 0-0, respectively.

After the tournament, White made himself unavailable for selection for the remainder of the former Three Lions boss' tenure. In December 2024, shortly before officially taking the reins, Tuchel revealed his plans to 'reach out' to the Arsenal defender.

"I will reach out to him," the former Chelsea gaffer told reporters in Zurich. "It should be a clean start and a clear narrative. I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know, 'Okay, the boss is there from January'."

Full England squad

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion), James Trafford (Manchester City).

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Ben White (Arsenal) .

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal) , Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).

Forwards: Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal) , Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) , Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur).

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