Arsenal star picks up another injury | OneFootball

Ben White’s return from injury has suffered another setback, with the defender emerging as a doubt for tomorrow’s Champions League opener away to Athletic Club.

Football.london report that White, who has not played since the opening-day win against Manchester United on 17 August, missed Monday’s training session due to what has been described as a “minor issue”.

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The 27-year-old was injured in the narrow victory over Ruben Amorim’s side but had returned to the matchday squad against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, raising hopes that he was ready to feature again.

Instead, his absence from full training has left Mikel Arteta facing another defensive concern on top of his already lengthy casualty list.

With Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus also missing, Arsenal’s squad options are dwindling, though the summer signings have at least provided the depth that was lacking in previous seasons.

William Saliba and Christian Nørgaard have both been involved in sessions this week, easing some of the pressure, while academy midfielder Max Dowman has been drafted in and is expected to make the matchday squad.

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As usual in Europe, Arsenal will name three goalkeepers. Tommy Setford is set to travel as the third choice after warming up with the squad against Forest, while 18-year-old Jack Porter has been filling in at London Colney in the absence of Alexei Rojas, who is away with Colombia’s under-20s. Porter is unlikely to be part of the final squad but could travel for experience.

Elsewhere, Demiane Agustien, signed from Derby County in the summer, also trained with the first team but cannot feature in the competition. He has not been registered for the senior squad and does not qualify for the under-21 list. Even so, the involvement provides valuable exposure to Champions League preparation at first-team level.

Whether White recovers in time to face Athletic remains unclear and seems unlikely, but his latest setback continues an unwelcome pattern for a player whose talent is sorely missed when he is not available.