“I’m really sorry, I didn’t meant him…I’ve been crying ever since i heard he’ll be out for such long period”: Chelsea star Moises Caicedo apologises to Arsenal fans after hearing Gunners player’s will be out for a very long time
Arsenal defender Ben White has had to undergo a minor procedure this week due to ongoing joint issues – a situation Mikel Arteta alluded to during his pre-match comments ahead of the defeat at Newcastle.
Arteta revealed, “Ben [White] didn’t make it to start because he only had half a session yesterday so it’s the third time. It’s a little issue so we have to protect him.”
The defender missed Arsenal’s games against Leicester City, Southampton, PSG, and Bolton and is thought to be grappling with a knee problem. While White managed to finish last season strongly following a period of rest in Dubai, the extent of his lay-off this time around remains unclear.
Jurrien Timber stands ready to fill in, though his recent outings have been at left-back. The stage may also be set for Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, or Myles Lewis-Skelly to step up on the left side of the defence.
But all eyes are on the potential return of Riccardo Calafiori, whose addition could prove crucial amid a dense run of fixtures as winter approaches. Arteta mentioned at the end of October that Calafiori might be on the sidelines for a spell: “Will be out for a few weeks I’d say.”
Consequently, he’s likely to miss out on the fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Sporting CP and West Ham. Nonetheless, with Martin Odegaard defying predictions and returning ahead of schedule, fans can dare to hope.
White joins the treatment room queue alongside team members like Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney. Although the injury list has grown, the hope is that this interlude will help thin it out considerably.
Arsenal returns to action against Nottingham Forest after the international break and knows it needs to go on a winning run to close the gap on leaders Liverpool at the top of the table.
