ARSENAL defender Ben White “will not travel” with Arsenal for their warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
The 25-year-old left the rest of Gareth Southgate’s squad earlier this week, flying back to England for “personal reasons”.
And according to ESPN, he will not fly with the Gunners to Dubai on Sunday as those not at the World Cup head to the Middle East for a mid-season training camp.
It is not yet known whether White will join up with Mikel Arteta’s squad at a later date.
Arsenal are scheduled to play two matches in the Dubai Super Cup while out in the UAE.
They will face Ligue 1 side Lyon on December 8, before taking on Italian giants AC Milan five days later.
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Arteta is aiming to keep those still in England sharp ahead of the return of the Premier League after Christmas.
White’s departure from the World Cup should mean he is fresh for the return of club football, with the England defender hoping to keep up his record of starting every league match so far this season.
But a host of Arsenal’s top stars, including the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Granit Xhaka and William Saliba, may not return until towards the end of the competition – which finishes on December 18.
Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus has left the World Cup after just 100 minutes of football following a knee injury – something that will seriously concern Arteta.
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He started his first match of the tournament against Cameroon but failed to score and was substituted midway through the second half as Tite’s men suffered a 1-0 defeat.
It remains to be seen whether he will be fit in time for Arsenal’s first game back after the World Cup.
They host West Ham on Boxing Day, before travelling to Brighton on New Year’s Eve.
Arteta’s side currently hold a five-point lead over defending champions Manchester City after 14 matches.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
