Ben White’s absence from England’s Euro 2024 Squad could prove to be a major blow for Gareth Southgate
Ben White was spotted rejoicing in his holiday after the Arsenal defender made himself unavailable for England’s selection
Arsenal defender Ben White was spotted enjoying his summer holidays alongside his wife. The 26-year-old earlier made himself unavailable for England selection on the international stage. The pictures depicting him in quite a relaxing mood have been doing the rounds on social media.
This has, of course, come amidst all the saga surrounding England’s manager Gareth Southgate’s announcement for the final 26-man squad to be going to Germany to compete for the UEFA Euro 2024. While major left-outs such as Jack Grealish, and James Maddison have raised eyebrows among the English media, England’s defensive vulnerabilities leading into the tournament are also quite debatable.
Also Read: Why was Jack Grealish dropped from the England Euro 2024 squad?
Man United center-back Harry Maguire has also been dropped from England’s final squad after being reportedly emphasised as not fit enough to be taken to Germany for the Euros. On the other hand, other defensive options which Southgate has in his squad in the form of names like Luke Shaw, and John Stones are also reportedly not 100 percent fit at this point.
One could only wonder if Ben White could have made the cut and emerged as an option for England going into the Euro 2024. Especially after impressing in his all-around performances during the recently concluded top-flight season with Arsenal. His absence might play a major role for Gareth Southgate’s squad if England do manage to make it to the later stages of the competition.
Ben White had a terrific 2023-2024 Premier League campaign for Arsenal
Ben White was easily one of the stand-out players from Arsenal’s hierarchy during the span of the 2023-2024 Premier League season. The player signed from Brighton was initially brought in to fit in as a centre-half, but Mikel Arteta needed him to play as a right-back for a major chunk of the campaign. White, however, showed his versatility and delivered big time.
The England-born player was not only defensively solid but was also influential in those attacking situations when he was required to go up the pitch. Besides his solid defensive contributions, the 26-year-old also recorded four goals and four assists in his 37 appearances for the Gunners in the recent Premier League campaign. Other thing that stood out was how consistent he was during the entire season in terms of being available for selection.
Also Read: Manchester United defender Harry Maguire left out of England’s final Euro 2024 squad