England defender Ben White has left the World Cup for ‘personal reasons’ and is expected to miss the remainder of the tournament.
A statement from the Football Association announced the news with the Arsenal defender now heading home.
“Ben White has left England’s training base in Al Wakrah and returned home for personal reasons,” the FA said.
“The Arsenal defender is not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament.
“We ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time.”
White, 25, was selected in Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for the Qatar tournament, but is yet to feature.
The defender was on the bench for opening group matches against Iran and the USA, but wasn’t in the squad for the most recent 3-0 win over Wales.
White has been a key figure for Arsenal this season, converting from a centre back to a right back, helping the Gunners top the Premier League table at Christmas.
For his country, White has four caps, with the Poole-born defender’s reputation only increasing since his £50million move to the Emirates from Brighton.
Former England defender and talkSPORT pundit Stuart Pearce commented: “It will be a big blow for Gareth Southgate, he’s been in scintillating form for Arsenal this season.”