Ben White must ‘clear the air’ with England teammates, says Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel says that Ben White will “clear the air” with senior England players over his return, with the manager also expressing hope that fans will give him a fair chance. The 28-year-old right-back was recalled to the international squad earlier this week, for the first time since leaving the 2022 World Cup squad in circumstances that continue to cause intrigue , amid murmurs of tension with staff. Tuchel added that everyone deserves “a second chance” and that White has been brilliant with him, as the manager was asked whether the Arsenal defender needs to explain what happened.

Ben White deserves ‘a second chance’ with England, says his manager (PA) “If you believe it or not, I didn’t hear a story about it,” Tuchel said. “I asked him and he didn’t want to speak about it. I didn’t want to know about it because I think he deserves a second chance.

I want to give him a second chance. “He has not put a foot wrong with me. Something must have happened, because if a player leaves from a tournament it’s never good and it never can be nothing.

“I’m not sure if ‘apologise’ is the right word, but maybe just to clear the air with the players who were there, I think he has done and will do with the majority of the players who come now. He trains at a very high level, exceptionally good in training. The reaction to his call-up was very positive.