Arsenal have confirmed that Ben White has sustained a significant medial knee ligament injury and will play no further part this season. The news, announced via the club's official website on Monday, follows Sunday's 1-0 win at West Ham United in which White went down in the 28th minute after a challenge with Crysencio Summerville and was unable to continue.

The club's statement read: "Subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that Ben White has sustained a significant medial knee ligament injury, which will rule him out for the remainder of this season. Our medical team are now managing Ben's recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting the aim of Ben being ready for the start of our pre-season preparations."

White will be absent for our remaining two Premier League fixtures, at home to Burnley on 18 May and away to Crystal Palace on 24 May, and for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on 30 May. Those three games represent the most consequential stretch of our season: two league matches that could seal a first Premier League title in 22 years, followed by our first Champions League final.

White started at right-back against West Ham and was involved in an awkward challenge with Summerville midway through the first half. He went to ground clutching his left knee, received treatment on the pitch, attempted to carry on, and was eventually replaced in the 28th minute. Arteta moved Declan Rice to right-back after the substitution, a decision that disrupted our midfield structure and handed the initiative to West Ham for a significant portion of the match. After the game, Arteta told reporters: "We do not know, but he does not look good at all, so he needs some further testing tomorrow probably and I know a bit more." White was seen leaving the London Stadium with his knee in a brace.

This is the injury that exposes us most directly. Jurrien Timber has been sidelined since 14 March with a groin problem sustained against Everton. He has missed 11 consecutive games and has not yet returned to full training. Arteta's last update on Timber offered cautious hope but no timeline: "He is doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment. But we need to get the gears up and be able to do more things before he can compete with us."

With both specialist right-backs unavailable, the options for the remaining fixtures are Cristhian Mosquera, who can cover the position from centre-back, Myles Lewis-Skelly shifted across from left-back, or a formation change to a back three. None of those solutions replicates what White or Timber provide. The Champions League final against PSG, and the threat of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in particular, is the fixture where the absence will be felt most sharply.