Arsenal and England have been dealt a significant blow as defender Ben White is set to miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, casting serious doubt on his chances of making the England World Cup squad.

This setback comes at the worst possible time for the 26-year-old, who had only recently re-established himself in the England setup. After more than three years away from international duty, White made a triumphant return in March's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan under new manager Thomas Tuchel. He even found the back of the net in the draw against Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay side, marking his first goal for his country in just six senior caps.

For Arsenal, the timing couldn't be more painful. The Gunners are on the cusp of a potentially historic season finale, with two trophies still within reach and just three games remaining. White had been in outstanding form, delivering a man-of-the-match caliber performance in the Champions League second leg against Atletico Madrid. His growing partnership with Bukayo Saka on Arsenal's right flank had become one of the team's most dangerous attacking weapons.

Now, Mikel Arteta faces a defensive headache. With Jurrien Timber already sidelined by a groin injury, the Arsenal manager has been forced to experiment. He deployed Declan Rice at right-back against West Ham before turning to 21-year-old Cristhian Mosquera for the remainder of that match. While Mosquera has shown flashes of elite potential, asking a youngster to mark Paris Saint-Germain's world-class attackers in a potential Champions League final would be a monumental challenge.

White's international return in March was particularly poignant after he left the England camp during the 2022 Qatar World Cup citing "personal reasons." His recall by Tuchel seemed to signal a fresh start, making this injury all the more heartbreaking for a player who had fought his way back into contention.