England manager Thomas Tuchel has explained why he did not include Ben White in the squad for the upcoming Nations League matches. Tuchel named his first squad since the World Cup on Friday, with several surprising choices both included and left out. Five Arsenal players—Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka—were selected, more than any other club. Noni Madueke, a standout performer at the World Cup, was left out, while Ben White also failed to make the cut. White, who had previously opted out of selection under former manager Gareth Southgate, returned to the England squad in March but missed the World Cup due to injury. Tuchel revealed in a press conference that he had intended to call up White for the September and October games but was unable to do so due to an injury issue. "Ben pulled out with an injury," Tuchel said. "He had a fantastic start to the season with Arsenal, playing well alongside Bukayo Saka on the right side, which could be very valuable for us. But unfortunately, he wasn't available for the World Cup and isn't available now. It's a bit of a story with Ben that in the decisive moments, when we do the call-ups, he's not available." Tuchel's comments come just after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed confidence that White was fit enough to play in Arsenal’s Premier League match against Brighton on Saturday. This raises questions about the timing and nature of White’s injury, though no further details have been provided. The England squad for the September and October 2026 Nations League fixtures includes goalkeepers Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton), and James Trafford (Leeds United). Defenders include Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Trevoh Chalobah (Como), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), and Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen). Midfielders selected are Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), and Alex Scott (Bournemouth). Forwards include Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).