Is Mikel Arteta losing faith in Ben White, or just managing him carefully?

There was plenty to take from Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid. And while most of it was positive, a few concerns lingered.

One of those? How Mikel Arteta really sees Ben White.

Once a key cog in the Spaniard’s Arsenal project, it now seems painfully clear that White is slipping down the pecking order.

He last featured in the Olympiacos tie, and truthfully, it wasn’t his finest outing. His performance raised eyebrows, and since then he has remained an unused substitute in Arsenal’s last two fixtures.

Overlooked against Atletico Madrid

On Tuesday night, many expected White to return to the starting eleven, especially with Jurrien Timber due for a rest.

But that wasn’t the case. Timber kept his place at right-back, while White stayed on the bench, only introduced for the final ten minutes.

Some might argue that at least he got minutes off the bench, but everyone knows how vital White has been for Arsenal and the role he once played.

Which begs the question: does Arteta no longer trust him to start?

Because if he did, as he clearly does with Myles Lewis-Skelly, White would have started against Atletico. Surely Timber needed a breather, and the opportunity was there.

With such limited game time, the ex-Brighton man risks falling further out of favour and potentially missing out on England’s World Cup squad.