England boss Thomas Tuchel has held talks with Ben White ahead of naming his first squad for World Cup qualifying, but the result of that conversation remains to be seen.
Matt Law reports for The Telegraph that new England manager Thomas Tuchel has held talks with Ben White as he prepares to name his first squad.
Tuchel has spoken to a number of players, in person and on video calls, and that list includes the Arsenal defender. The manager had previously publicly confirmed he’d reach out to White, though the details of their subsequent conversation remain private.
The Telegraph write that it remains to be seen whether White has told Tuchel he wishes to be considered for selection again, now that Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland are no longer in charge.
It was Holland who White reportedly had the issue with, pulling out of the 2022 World Cup squad and missing out on Euro 2024.
Tuchel will name his first squad in around two weeks, with games against Albania and Latvia coming up on March 21st and 24th respectively. Whether White has made himself available or not, The Telegraph report that Arsenal will continue to support his wishes.
From an Arsenal fan point of view, it might be better if White isn’t involved in this first squad, given his recent return from injury. The Gunners will hope to keep him wrapped in cotton wool as he works to get fully fit.
But if the player wants to return to international duty when he’s back to his best, the club would clearly be supportive of that.
White made his on-field comeback with a four-minute appearance for Arsenal against West Ham United on Saturday, having made the bench against Leicester City the previous week.