Mikel Arteta has insisted that he did not hear England supporters jeering Ben White during the recent international break, adding that the Arsenal defender returned to the club in positive spirits. White was booed by sections of the Wembley crowd when he came on as a substitute during England's 1-1 draw with Uruguay, a reaction seemingly linked to his prolonged absence from the national team.
The 28-year-old ended an almost four-year international exile after being selected by Thomas Tuchel for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. White scored against Uruguay but was jeered when his name was announced. England then lost 1-0 to Japan in their final match before the summer's World Cup.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal's FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton, Arteta said: 'The volume was down, so I could not hear that. I could just see a big smile on his face and the way he came back from the national team and the good things that he was telling everybody about, the group, the meetings, Thomas and everybody.'
Arteta emphasised the benefits of international duty, stating: 'When you send a player to a national team, you really want to bring back a better player, a player that is happy, a player that is available and fit. That was certainly Ben's case.' He also confirmed that Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard are available for Saturday's tie, while Piero Hincapie, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are sidelined.
