FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - October 19, 2024 Arsenal's Ben White looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
(Reuters) - Arsenal will be without defender Ben White for a few months after he underwent knee surgery but they are hopeful he will return before the end of the season, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.
White underwent surgery during the international break and Arteta said the club decided the 27-year-old had to go under the knife as they did not see any improvement in his injury.
The defender has been a regular in Arsenal's back line in the last two seasons but has made only seven league starts this term.
"Ben White is going to be out for months, unfortunately," Arteta told reporters ahead of Saturday's home game against Nottingham Forest.
"It's been different kinds of struggles, never the same thing. We had to make a decision, it hasn't been improving in the last few weeks. We know Ben is going to push every boundary, but it got to a point where we had to protect the player.
"We decided to do surgery, he agreed with that and that's going to keep him out for a few months. We have to see how he reacts post-surgery, I don't expect it to be half a year but I can't say exactly how long it will be."
There was positive news on the injury front for Arsenal with Arteta saying Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice did well in their first training session after both players withdrew from the England squad while Riccardo Calafiori is back.
"Bukayo and Declan have had their first partial sessions back today - they did very well," Arteta said.
"Riccardo Calafiori has trained, his rehab has gone really well. This week he trained on the pitch, he trained with us today and he will be back in the squad."
The match will be Arteta's 250th in charge of Arsenal and the Spaniard, who finished his playing career with the north London side, said he took great pride in working at the club.
"I've enjoyed the experience a lot. I've enjoyed every minute of it, because of the people I work with every day. I understand how lucky I am to be sitting where I am," he said.
"It's about winning, it's about winning more, and we are on that journey. If it's about energy and what I love doing, I do have another 250 games in me."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
