Ben White is expected to miss the rest of the season after sustaining an injury during the match against West Ham last weekend, according to The Athletic. This comes as a blow to Arsenal as their starting right-back, Jurriën Timber, is already injured and is likely to also miss the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Fans had a bad feeling on Sunday when Ben White had to be substituted in the first half while holding his knee. The Athletic has now confirmed that the English full-back, who injured his right knee ligament, will miss the remaining matches of the season, including the final against Paris Saint-Germain, and may even miss the World Cup this summer.
This poses a serious issue for Mikel Arteta, who is already without Jurriën Timber, the regular right-back. The Dutch player, injured on March 14th against Everton, was initially expected to be out for only a few days. Despite Arsenal’s efforts to facilitate his return, his unexplained extended absence makes his comeback increasingly unlikely.
It is hard to envision Mikel Arteta starting Jurriën Timber in the Champions League final after not playing for over two and a half months. Arsenal will likely have to come up with an improvised solution for the right-back position against PSG. Declan Rice has filled in on occasion this season, but the preferred choice seems to be Cristhian Mosquera, who typically plays as a central defender.
After Jurriën Timber’s injury, Mosquera was deployed as a right-back against Sporting in the Champions League quarter-finals and against Manchester City in the Premier League five days later. He also came on at halftime against West Ham last weekend to play on the right flank. However, he does not possess the same ball-handling skills or attacking link-up as Timber and White, which could be advantageous for PSG and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
[Context: Ben White and Jurriën Timber are key players for Arsenal who are both out with injuries, leading to uncertainty ahead of important matches. Fact Check: There is no official confirmation yet from Arsenal about Jurriën Timber’s status.]
