Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal have been blocked from playing 15-year-old Max Dowman due to Premier League rules over age group

Arsenal are currently facing a major shortage of attacking options, with several key forwards sidelined. The problems began when Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz suffered hamstring injuries in recent weeks, significantly weakening Arteta’s attacking setup. Havertz’s injury is particularly severe, requiring surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Martinelli is expected to be absent for at least a month, further limiting the team’s firepower. Adding to the Gunners’ woes, Bukayo Saka is also recovering from a hamstring problem, while Gabriel Jesus has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.

These setbacks mean Arteta has just three available forwards at his disposal: Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard, and Raheem Sterling. Despite the club’s ongoing injury crisis, league rules prevent players from a lower age category than the Under-16s from being included in a match-day squad. Hence, Dowman, an attacking midfielder, who was registered with Arsenal’s Under-15 team at the beginning of the season, is ineligible for first-team selection.

With Arsenal’s attacking ranks depleted, there was speculation that Dowman could be fast-tracked into the first team. However, Arteta has dismissed that possibility and said: “We had Max, we had many other kids as well there [in Dubai]. It was a big opportunity for us to see them in our environment. It’s clear the rules on age and restrictions at the moment and very difficult to change that as well.”

The timing of Arsenal’s injury crisis could not be worse, with key matches on the horizon. Their next fixture sees them travel to Leicester City on Saturday, where Arteta will need to be creative with his team selection. Following that, Arsenal will host West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on February 22, a game that could have significant implications for their title ambitions.