Arsenal latest: 11 stars told they should face ban as Ben White theory raised

Arsenal have 11 players who withdrew from international duty amid injury concerns

Arsenal face a challenging period with three trophies still up for grabs this season and numerous injury concerns to manage. A number of Gunners players have returned early to north London during the international break for treatment ahead of the Premier League's April restart.

Mikel Arteta's squad face an FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on Saturday evening, and the manager may need to make several changes. High-profile players such as Declan Rice, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and William Saliba all withdrew from their national teams to return to the club.

With only seven matches remaining in the Premier League season, it appears that Arteta is nearing his first league title since taking control in 2019. Supporters will hope the Gunners can maintain their nine-point lead to secure the trophy in May.

Here, football.london provides the latest updates from the Emirates Stadium.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Calls for significant Arsenal ban

Gabby Agbonlahor insists that Arsenal's injured stars should be barred from domestic matches if they have withdrawn from international duty.

A total of 11 players have pulled out from their respective national teams. These include Saliba, Rice, Eze, Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, Leoandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke.

The ex-Aston Villa star was analysing the tense title race between Arsenal and Manchester City when the conversation turned to the Arsenal players.

He said: "If I was part of the Premier League and I was making a decision, I would bring in a new rule, you miss the next Premier League game available if you pull out of international duty.

"I tell you something, players will stop pulling out. Playing for your country is an honour. If I'm Harry Kane, I'm speaking about this and saying, 'Come on, guys, let's not go back to what we were doing four or five years ago where players are pulling out non-stop.'

"I get it, Arteta is doing everything possible to win these trophies. Their next game after the international break is the FA Cup against Southampton.

"I'm just not keen on players pulling out of international duty. It's an honour to play for your country. It doesn't sit right with me."

New theory on White surfaces

talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham suggests that Ben White didn't adequately prepare for his England duties during the 2022 World Cup, leading to his high-profile exit from the squad.

The seasoned defender has returned to international action for the first time since leaving the Three Lions four years ago. Thomas Tuchel selected White as a replacement for the injured Jarell Quansah, and he marked his comeback with a goal in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay.

However, the circumstances surrounding his departure from England in 2022 remain a subject of considerable debate, and Durham has put forward an intriguing theory. He said: "This is what I'm led to understand has happened with Ben White.

"The players were told to watch videos of opponents and they were given videos on their laptops, iPads, whatever it was. He decided not to and the England analysts knew, because they had the tech, who had and who hadn't watched the videos.

"When asked about it, Ben White got really upset about it to the point where he quit England. If that is true, why on earth would Thomas Tuchel want him back in the squad when he's not prepared to put the hard yards in to be as good as he possibly can against the opponents England are up against.

"If it's not true, I apologise, but let's have the flipping truth."