Ben White, Arsenal’s versatile defender, remains uninterested in returning to the England setup, according to interim head coach Lee Carsley. White has been absent from the national team since leaving the 2022 World Cup camp, citing “personal reasons.” Despite excelling at right-back for Arsenal, his stance on representing England appears unchanged.

Speaking last month during the announcement of his first squad, Carsley addressed speculation about White’s potential return. “I’ve seen in some of the press reports that [White] was open to [returning], but it’s gone no further,” he said. “As far as I’m aware, he wasn’t available for selection. Nothing’s changed in my two weeks of being here.”

Although Carsley has led England to two wins in his brief tenure, with Trent Alexander-Arnold standing out in the right-back role, he confirmed there are no plans to speak with White ahead of the next squad announcement.

When asked on Tuesday night if he would initiate discussions with White, Carsley responded, “I’ve not planned to [speak to White], no. We spoke about this in the squad selection. Every player that’s eligible to play for England is in with a chance. As far as I’m aware, he has asked to be not contacted.”

On whether it’s up to White to make the first move, Carsley added, “Yeah. It’s important we have real competition all over the pitch, and the more competition we have available to pick from, the better it is.”