Ben White breaks silence after Arsenal star left England World Cup squad early

Ben White seems to be excited to be back with Arsenal after he joined up with Mikel Arteta's men on their mid-season tour of Dubai ahead of the domestic restart.

The 25-year-old left England's World Cup camp due to 'personal reasons' on November 30 as he returned back to the United Kingdom to be with his family. White did not feature in the Three Lions' opening two group matches and missed their win over Wales through illness.

However, it has since been claimed that White's premature exit stems from his fall-out with a key member of the coaching staff as well as struggling to fully integrate into the squad off the pitch, leaving him unhappy out in Qatar as a result.

After just over a week away from the England camp, White joined up with the rest of his Arsenal teammates in Dubai as they prepare to return to competitive action against West Ham on Boxing Day.

The Gunners face AC Milan and Juventus while out in the Middle East, but it is unknown whether the centre-back will feature in either game.

White, who was pictured in training on Monday, posted a message on his Instagram having joined up with his colleagues in Dubai. This is the first time White has put anything on social media since his departure from Qatar.

Instagram

In a post that featured three photos of White, including one of him in the gym with some weights, he said: "We back baby."

He also posted an image of him training with the rest of his teammates, and then another with just a straight photo of the Arsenal training jersey.

Gareth Southgate was asked about the alleged 'bust-up' between White and Three Lions coach Steve Holland prior to their World Cup quarter-final clash with France. He told reporters: "What I've been shown was alleged and there was another word that was used [in the article].

"I think by commenting on the story I could be giving it any form of credibility, really. We explained why Ben left the camp and I think it's important that that is respected, really."

White has been impressive for Arsenal so far this season, featuring in all 14 of their Premier League matches to date.

The Gunners currently top the table, having picked up 37 points from a possible 42 possible, and sit five points above champions Manchester City in the process.

But Arsenal face a couple of tricky tests after the restart, facing West Ham before taking on White's old club Brighton and then Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium. It feels as though the first couple of weeks after the restart are important for the Gunners and could determine whether they are title challengers this season.

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