Thomas Tuchel now shares why Arsenal star Ben White was omitted from England squad

Arsenal trio Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice have been called up to the England national team for the matches against Andorra and Senegal next month, with Ben White missing out.

The 27-year-old Gunners star last played for the Three Lions against the Ivory Coast in an international friendly in March 2022 but is now reportedly open to returning to the team following the departure of Gareth Southgate.

However, new England manager Thomas Tuchel did not include White in his second squad, and he has explained why.

Thomas Tuchel’s #ThreeLions squad for June is here!

— England (@England) May 23, 2025

“He made very strong progress,” the German told reporters.

“We had a talk and we decided that at the moment this is not the moment – because he will become a father very soon. The baby is due during the camp. We wish him all the best for that.”

Tuchel adds that White is still getting back to full fitness, which was also a factor.

Stresses, however, that White is "100 per cent" ready to be called up in the future.

— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) May 23, 2025

White refused to make himself available for selection after leaving the England squad during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following a disagreement with former assistant coach Steve Holland, but he is now ready to return.

England return to action in September after their games next month, and the Arsenal star will hope to be ready for selection by then.

Going to the 2026 World Cup will be top of his plans heading into next season, and he will need to return to the Arsenal starting XI to boost his chances.

Injuries limited White to 25 appearances across all competitions this term, and he has started 16 times, and re-establishing himself as a regular in the team next season could prove tricky.

Jurrien Timber was the first-choice right-back for the majority of this term, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are the preferred centre-back pairing, with Jakub Kiwior providing excellent cover in the absence of the Brazilian.

White will have to put in some outstanding performances to force his way back into the starting line-up, and failure to do so could deal a huge blow on his chances of returning to the Three Lions.

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