Ben White: England defender leaves World Cup training base to return home for ‘personal reasons’ | Football News
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Ben White has left England’s World Cup training base in Qatar to return 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.
« We ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time, » a statement from the Football Association read.
Arsenal’s official Twitter account posted: « We’re all with you, Ben. »
White, who has four caps for England, was called up as a late replacement for last year’s European Championship but did not feature and is yet to represent his country at a major international tournament.
England’s victory over Wales ensured they finished top of Group B and set up a World Cup last-16 tie with Senegal on Sunday.
