Picture Credit: Twitter
England football team’s defender Ben White has left FIFA World Cup 2022 training base in Qatar midway and has headed back home for personal reasons. The Arsenal defender is not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament. The 25-year-old was included in Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad for the World Cup following an impressive start to the season with the Gunners.
White did not feature in England's first two Group B matches and missed Tuesday's 3-0 win against Wales through illness.
"Ben White has left England’s training base in Al Wakrah and returned home for personal reasons. The Arsenal defender is not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament. We ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time," a statement from the Football Association read.
No replacements can be made at this stage of the World Cup and Arsenal shared the FA's statement on their social media channels, along with the caption, "We're all with you, Ben" and a love heart emoji.
White was at his second major tournament with England, having been included in the squad that reached last summer's European Championship final. The defender did not make an appearance during the tournament and has only won two caps since, taking his overall tally to four. Southgate's initial selection had remained intact until the White news.
Harry Kane’s England have qualified for the knockout stages having topped Group B. The team defeated Wales 3-0 in their last group-stage game as Marcus Rashford scored a brace. Phil Foden was also among the goals for England. The Three Lions will next face Senegal on Sunday.
