Man Utd legend Gary Neville makes brutal claim about injured Arsenal star | Football

Gary Neville believes Arsenal defender Ben White was ‘asking for trouble’ by making a ‘weak’ challenge that led to a worrying injury that could rule him out for the rest of the season.

White went down in pain following a clash with West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville in the first half of Arsenal’s huge win at the London Stadium on Sunday.

The 28-year-old, who has regained his place in the team in recent weeks following a frustrating season, immediately looked concerned and soon hobbled off assisted by of one of Arsenal’s medical staff.

Mikel Arteta was unable to give a clear update on White’s injury after the game but suggested he was a doubt for Arsenal’s final two Premier League fixtures and the Champions League final at the end of the month.

‘We don’t know, but he doesn’t look good at all,’ a concerned Arteta said. ‘So he needs some further testing tomorrow probably and I know a bit more.’

If serious, the injury could even rule White out of this summer’s World Cup just weeks after his England recall under Thomas Tuchel.

Neville said he ‘hopes’ it does not come to that but suggested White had to shoulder some of the blame for the injury given his ‘pretty weak’ challenge.

Speaking on Sky Sports commentary after White’s injury, Neville said: ‘Ben White just hangs his leg there. It’s poor from the right-back.

‘He’s up against Summerville; he’s got to be stronger than that. He’s hurt himself there.

‘That’s easily prevented if you go in strong and with a real sturdy block. He’s hung his leg out in pretty weak fashion, you’re asking for trouble.’

Speaking after the game, Neville revealed he had suffered a similar injury in training during his Manchester United career.

‘Ben White hangs his leg out and I’ve actually done what he did,’ he said on The Gary Neville podcast.

‘I did it in training, I went out for a drink on the Saturday night, which I never did but we didn’t have a game for ten days. I actually did my medial ligament in training on the Monday morning.

‘I went in for a challenge like how Ben White did. If you go in for a tackle and just hang your leg out away from your body like that, you will get that rock of your knee.

‘You have to go in strong and really block with power because if you just hang your leg out you’ve got a good chance of doing your medial ligament.

‘Ben White will regret that because that could see him out of the World Cup. We don’t know, we haven’t got the diagnosis yet, but they can be four to six-week injuries which would obviously be a big problem for Ben White in terms of the World Cup and the Champions League final.

‘Let’s hope it’s not that bad but that type of injury comes from that challenge.’

White’s injury was the only real blemish from an Arsenal point of view as they clinched a dramatic 1-0 win over West Ham to move a step closer to winning the Premier League.

Leandro Trossard’s late goal broke the deadlock at the London Stadium and West Ham had an injury-time equaliser ruled out following a VAR check.

Arsenal are five points clear of second-placed Manchester City while West Ham’s defeat means they sunk ever closer to relegation.

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