Murphy: “It’s a shame for him” over Arsenal’s major injury in the UCL final

Former England midfielder Danny Murphy has weighed in on Arsenal’s injury crisis as the club prepares for the Champions League final and the last games of the Premier League.

The season‑ending injury to Ben White has left manager Mikel Arteta with a right‑back dilemma, especially as Jurrien Timber remains unavailable because of a groin problem.

“It’s a shame for Ben White,” Murphy said on talkSPORT after the England defender was confirmed to have suffered a “substantial” medial knee ligament injury.

“He appears to be in Thomas Tuchel’s favour and had just begun to regain his form, playing consistently due to Timber’s injury.”

“He is a competent player.”

Following White’s exit during the match against West Ham, pundit Gary Neville drew criticism for claiming the defender had “asked for trouble” by making a “weak” challenge on Crysencio Summerville.

Murphy partially agreed with Neville, noting that White “dangled a leg” instead of “going in full tilt” at the London Stadium, where Arsenal had re‑established a five‑point lead at the top of the Premier League.

“I understand that Gary Neville received some criticism for his assessment of that tackle… I somewhat agree with him in a way,” Murphy elaborated.

“I once missed a final by merely dangling a leg. Rio Ferdinand came through me aggressively away at Leeds, resulting in ligament damage, which caused me to miss a final. I reflect on that tackle and believe I should have gone in with full commitment.”

“The issue now is that, given the current rules, particularly the follow‑through rule, even if you do go in with full commitment but inadvertently catch someone, you risk receiving a red card. This actually encourages players to be more cautious.”

“Neville is correct. The challenge is that players are overthinking due to the possibility of a red card, but the reality is that receiving a red card is preferable to sustaining an injury.”

“White likely reflects on it and thinks he should have gone in more decisively.”