White’s ability to overlap down the right flank, as well as drop deep in central areas makes him the perfect fullback for Mikel Arteta’s system. But the former Brighton & Hove Albion star missed the Gunners’ most recent outing, a 3-1 Premier League victory over Burnley last Saturday.
White missed out due to a knock that he had been suffering with in recent weeks. Speaking about the fitness concern on Saturday after the match Arteta said: "Yesterday in training he wasn't comfortable.
"He didn't look right. But Ben won't give you much. He always wants to be on the pitch and he wants to hide anything that is in there. But we highlighted something happening there that we noticed in the last two weeks as well.
"We wanted to protect him today. It was the right call from the physios and the medical department and tomorrow we will assess him and understand what’s happening."
The 25-year-old’s injury doesn’t appear to be anything serious but if he wasn’t fit enough to play his side’s next match, a league fixture away to Brentford, Arteta has the perfect internal solution in the form of Reuell Walters. Of course, the Spaniard could opt to deploy Takehiro Tomiyasu there, as he did against Burnley, but the Japanese international is arguably more consistent at left-back, where Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has holes in his game defensively, operated on Saturday.The aforementioned Walters is a more traditional defender, however. The Hale End academy graduate is more than capable at centre-half, as well as fullback.
He knows how to use his large frame to his advantage, regularly bullying opposition strikers at youth level. Zinchenko even raved about the talented youngster’s physical qualities, detailing an impressive moment in training. When asked about hidden gems within the squad, Zinchenko told Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel: "I like so much centre-back Reuell.
"I think the qualities he has, he is aggressive. I swear to God, one time he pushed Gabriel Jesus in a shoulder-to-shoulder.
"It is not easy to push Gabriel because he is very strong, and he was confident on the ball afterwards, he kept the ball well and passed. Wow. He impresses me I think the most."
Walters is also accomplished with the ball at his feet. The 18-year-old likes to dribble out of dangerous situations, regularly utilising his ability in tight spaces to evade the opposition press to great effect.
He can overlap too. During a recent match against Manchester City Under-21s, Walters made an eye-catching run down the right flank before setting up Amario Cozier-Duberry with an inch-perfect through ball and grabbing an assist for his hard work. Walters is of course still raw, he isn’t ready to play every week at the senior level.
But the former Tottenham Hotspur academy starlet is ready to step up to the plate and give White some extra rest time if needed.
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