Ben White has been called up to England’s squad since November 2022, replacing the injured Jarrell Quansah in Thomas Tuchel’s side for matches against Uruguay and Japan, while Harvey Barnes has also been called up in place of Ebelesi Eze.
Arsenal defender White has not featured for the Three Lions since leaving camp during the Qatar World Cup following an alleged falling out with then-assistant Steve Holland.
The player subsequently informed head coach Gareth Southgate that he did not want to be selected for Euro 2024, but current manager Thomas Tuchel first spoke to him before naming his first squad in February last year and ultimately reinstated him into the squad more than a year later.
White himself revealed that he had made himself available to negotiate with Tuchel following talks with him at the end of last season, saying in May 2025:
“(Tuchel) is really kind, a good guy and very honest. It hasn’t been too long since he came back, so now I just want to play and hopefully come back.”
The right-back played the full game in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, but has only appeared in seven Premier League games this season, totaling just 411 minutes.
Barnes was called up to replace White’s injured Arsenal teammate Eze, just a month after turning down the chance to play for Scotland ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
The Newcastle winger, who would have qualified for Steve Clarke’s side thanks to his maternal grandparents, has played for England in a friendly against Wales in October 2020.
Clarke revealed to BBC Radio 5 Live that the 28-year-old had chosen to focus on regaining his place with the Three Lions following February’s Nations League draw, saying: “I can say with certainty at this time that Harvey is going to focus on playing for England and has no intention of coming to Scotland.”
“You can leave that out. No one has to ask me or Harvey about it anymore. Am I disappointed? No, listen, Harvey can make his own decisions. We’ll move on.”
Analysis: Despite reconciliation, White still misses out on World Cup chances
Sky Sports News senior correspondent Rob Dorsett:
Ben White’s return to the England squad was a welcome boost for the Arsenal defender a day after disappointment in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, but remains a distant dream for Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
It has been three-and-a-half years since White was last involved with England. At that time, he withdrew from the Qatar World Cup after just two games due to personal reasons. He declined Gareth Southgate’s call-up for the spring international break in March 2024 following disagreements with then-assistant manager Steve Holland.
Tuchel has spoken to White a number of times since taking over and has repeatedly said the full-back remains on his mind. However, despite returning to some form and fitness for Arsenal this season (he has started 15 games in all competitions), his inclusion is a pragmatic decision by England’s head coach.
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Sky Sports’ senior correspondent Rob Dorsett summarizes manager Thomas Tuchel’s press conference in which he named his squad to face Uruguay and Japan.
Remember, Tuchel named 35 players in his initial squad announcement on Friday and could have asked Nico O’Reilly (or Ezri Konsa or even Marc Guehi) to join him earlier than planned to cover the full-back positions. All three are scheduled to be in attendance (along with eight other players) from Saturday morning, giving them a break from their busy domestic schedules before working towards next Tuesday’s second friendly against Japan.
However, the England manager is determined to stick to his two-camp plan, with Jarrell Quansah and Ebere Eze withdrawn from the first group, leaving him with just 18 outfield players and three full-backs for Friday night’s friendly against Uruguay. So the call came to Mr. White (and Mr. Harvey Barnes).
This is a further blow for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was unexpectedly left out of the original 35-man list and was once again overlooked at a time when Tuchel needed a right-back. It is now very difficult to see how the Real Madrid man could be involved in this summer’s World Cup in North America.
