Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman facing lengthy spell out after suffering ankle ligament injury as 15-year-old dealt cruel blow

Dowman made history at just 15 years and 308 days when he featured for 18 minutes in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League. However, the teenager is facing a brief pause in his development and could be out for around two months, as reported by The Athletic. 

Although he does not require surgery, the injury is serious enough to rule him out for a significant time, long enough for UEFA’s updated regulations to permit a squad replacement in European competition. Arsenal confirmed the news on Tuesday, removing the England youth international from their Champions League squad and adding Gabriel Jesus in his place. 

A club statement read: "Gabriel Jesus has replaced Max Dowman on our UEFA A list with immediate effect. Therefore, Gabby is eligible to play in our match against Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday night. Max, who picked up an ankle injury playing for our under-21s on Saturday, will be added to our UEFA B list in January, but will not be permitted to play in any UEFA competitions for 60 days from today (February 6)."

Speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League fixture against Club Brugge, Mikel Arteta could not hide his frustration at yet another fitness blow within his already depleted squad.

"Yeah, a big one. I mean, losing Max again, it's obviously not ideal with Leo [Trossard], who is just coming back, that we have to manage the minutes," he said. 

"Max [Dowman] picked up an injury last weekend and had to come off. So he did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks and then we have the situation of Gabi [Jesus], who we were expecting to be training with us by the end of December. Gabi has been pushing every single day and he kept telling everybody 'I am going to be earlier, earlier, earlier' and he has done it. So thanks to his work and all the work that the medical staff have done in all these months, and we had the possibility to make a swap there and we have done it. Yes, on one side, you see Max and the situation and on the other, you see the joy and how happy Gabi is to be back in the Champions League."

Speaking to the club’s matchday programme, Jesus expressed both relief and caution.

"I'm feeling great, my knee is responding very well. I'm looking forward to being around the team again soon, to come back to do what I love to do," the Brazilian said. "It's been too long, this one is the biggest injury I've had in my life. An injury like this, one that is so long, you split up the recovery periods into smaller timings. So now I'm at the stage where I need to hold myself back a little bit because I'm doing great work off the pitches, but it's tricky because I need to not rush myself too hard over the line. When you can see the end it's important you don't push too hard, keep my feet on the floor, and then as soon as the time comes, I will be ready."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Dowman’s rise this season has been swift. After starring in pre-season for Arsenal, he made his senior debut in August as a substitute in the 5-0 win over Leeds United, becoming the second-youngest player ever to appear for the club. Since then, he has collected five senior appearances and assisted once. Off the pitch, Arsenal confirmed in October that Dowman had agreed scholarship terms, paving the way for a professional contract when he turns 17.

Arsenal travel to Belgium seeking a timely response after their last-minute Premier League defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday. While injuries continue to present challenges, the Gunners enter the fixture with a flawless record in the Champions League with five wins from five games. Their opponents, meanwhile, are in turmoil as Club Brugge dismissed head coach Nicky Hayen on Monday after a poor run of two wins in seven.