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Ben White's back for England! Arsenal star set to earn first cap in FOUR YEARS as he joins Harvey Barnes in Three Lions squad

  • White added to England squad for March friendlies

    Arsenal defender White has been called up to the England squad alongside Barnes, with Tuchel forced to name replacements for Eze and Quansah after the pair picked up injuries. The two new arrivals will now get the chance to stake their claims for a place in England's squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America, with Tuchel set to hand opportunities to fringe players during the two games.

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    Arsenal defender ends international exile

    White has had a complicated career at international level. He was named in the squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup but did not get onto the pitch in either tournament. The 28-year-old left Qatar for personal reasons and former manager Gareth Southgate later revealed the former Brighton star had asked not to be considered for selection amid speculation that suggested there had been a falling out with assistant manager Steve Holland.

  • Barnes set for opportunity after rejecting Scotland

    Barnes' international status has also been a hot topic. The former Leicester City star made his sole England appearance as a substitute back in 2020 during a 3-0 victory over Wales. Given it was a friendly, the 28-year-old remains eligible to play for Scotland, who have been courting him in recent years.

    However, Scotland boss Steve Clarke confirmed in February that Barnes had no interest in switching allegiances, saying "Harvey's going to concentrate on trying to play for England" and that "Nobody needs to ask me or Harvey about it any more".

    Barnes will now get his chance to impress Tuchel in the March camp as he attempts to win a place in the World Cup squad. However, he faces a lot of competition for a spot from other wingers, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke all hopeful of getting on the plane to North America.

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    White called up ahead of Alexander-Arnold

    One of the major talking points when Tuchel first named his March squad was the omission of Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Liverpool star has had a disjointed career at international level and has been overlooked again following Quansah's withdrawal, with White handed the opportunity to win his first England cap in four years instead.

    The 27-year-old posted a message on his Instagram account after playing in Los Blancos' 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday, with some suggesting his caption of "Madrid. And nothing else" was a shot aimed at Tuchel after being left out.

    Right-back is one of the most competitive positions in the current England set-up, with the likes of Djed Spence, Quansah and Chelsea captain Reece James all playing there in recent international breaks.