Ben White leaves Qatar, England squad for “personal reasons”

Ben White has left the England World Cup squad for “personal reasons” and is “not expected to return” to Qatar regardless of how deep of a run England make in the tournament. The FA went on to say, “we ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time,” in a statement released on Wednesday evening.

White did not play in England’s win over Iran nor in the draw with the United States. He missed the Wales match due to illness. There’s not much information about White’s departure, not even semi-credible stories. Whatever the reason may be, it’s best to respect his privacy and not engage in rumor-mongering. He was most recently pictured in England training on the 27th.

I’d expect White, Arsenal, and / or the FA to give more information when the time is right. For now, the best we can do is wish him the best with whatever issue forced him to leave the World Cup.