Mikel Arteta Explains Ben White’s Absence as Arsenal Secures 3-1 Victory over Burnley

Following Arsenal’s 3-1 win against Burnley, Mikel Arteta shed light on the reason behind Ben White’s exclusion from the matchday squad. The game saw Leandro Trossard give Arsenal the lead just before halftime, with Josh Brownhill equalizing for Burnley. However, goals from William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the second half secured the victory for Arsenal.

Amidst Arsenal’s ιnjury concerns, Ben White’s absence added to the list of worries for Arteta’s side. White, who has been a regular starter this season, was not in the squad, with Takehiro Tomiyasu taking his place at right-back.

In the post-match press conference, Arteta explained, “Yesterday in training he wasn’t comfortable. He didn’t look right. But Ben won’t give you much. He always wants to be on the pitch and he wants to hide anything that is in there. But we highlighted something happening there that we noticed in the last two weeks as well. We wаnted to protect him today. It was the right call from the physios and the medical department, and tomorrow we will assess him and understand what’s happening.”

In addition to White’s absence, Arsenal also dealt with ιnjury concerns for Tomiyasu and Bukayo Saka, both of whom started the match. Saka assisted Trossard for the opening goal. Currently sidelined with injuries are Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, and Gabriel Jesus. Despite these challenges, Arsenal managed a fruitful outing against Burnley.