Thomas Tuchel will speak to Ben White over possible England return

New England coach Thomas Tuchel will speak to Arsenal defender Ben White about a possible national team return in the new year.

White, 27, has not played for England since he left the 2022 World Cup early.

Tuchel officially starts work on January 1, and told reporters in Zurich on Friday: “I will reach out to him. It should be a clean start and a clear narrative.

“I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know: ‘Okay, the boss is there from January’.”

Tuchel’s team have been drawn against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals.

White would give Tuchel extra options defensively. He started his career as a centre-back but has been converted into a right back by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

He has played four times for England at senior level, making his debut in a Euro 2020 warm-up match against Austria. He was included in the squads for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup under Tuchel’s predecessor Thomas Tuchel, but did not feature in either tournament.

White is currently sidelined after undergoing a minor knee operation last month.