Ben White back in England squad for first time since 2022 World Cup departure

By Jonathan Veal, Press Association

Arsenal defender Ben White has received his first England call-up since the 2022 World Cup after being added to Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

White has not featured for the national team since leaving the squad in Qatar for personal reasons and then making himself unavailable for selection for the remainder of Sir Gareth Southgate’s spell in charge.

But he is back in the fold for the forthcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, after Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah withdrew due to injury, and will look to add to his four caps.

White’s Gunners team-mate Eberechi Eze is also out of the camp and has been replaced by Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes.

Barnes has had an impressive season for the Magpies and now has the chance to stake his claim for a spot at the World Cup, six years after winning his only previous cap.

Boss Tuchel will welcome a split squad of 19 outfield players and four goalkeepers to St George’s Park this week as the battle for places at the summer tournament in North America hots up.

They will feature in Friday’s match against Uruguay at Wembley, with a raft of players then leaving the group and being replaced by 11 others.

Harry Kane, Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka, who all seem certain to be in Tuchel’s World Cup squad, are those joining up at the weekend ahead of the Japan game.