Arsenal’s hopes of including young talent Max Dowman in their squad have been dashed due to an obscure Premier League regulation.
The Gunners are currently struggling with an injury crisis in attack, with several key players sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Most significantly, Kai Havertz has suffered a season-ending hamstring injury and is set to undergo surgery in hopes of returning fit next season.
With Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus also unavailable, Mikel Arteta had considered integrating 15-year-old Dowman into the first team after he impressed during a recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
However, Premier League rules prevent him from playing, as players in a matchday squad must be at least from the under-16 age group. Since Dowman was registered in an under-15 squad at the beginning of the season, an immediate senior call-up is not possible.
Arteta confirmed the situation, saying: “We had Max and many other youngsters in Dubai. It was a great opportunity to see them in our environment. But the rules on age restrictions are clear and difficult to change.”
As a result, Arsenal have only three forward options available: Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard, and Ethan Nwaneri.
With Havertz ruled out for the season and Jesus still recovering from a long-term knee injury, fans had hoped Saka could return soon. However, talkSPORT reports that Arsenal won’t rush him back despite their attacking concerns.
Arsenal’s next fixture is a Premier League clash with Leicester, where a win could narrow the gap to Liverpool to four points following their 2-2 draw with Everton in the Merseyside derby.
Commenting on Liverpool’s dropped points, Arteta said: “That helps. Seeing how we perform in the Champions League and the league under our current conditions gives us massive belief.”
He also shared a lighthearted moment about watching the Liverpool-Everton match: “I lost connection while watching on my tablet, so we didn’t know exactly what was happening!”
Arteta concluded by emphasizing the challenges of the Premier League: “Winning consistently over ten months is extremely tough, but that’s the beauty of football—the uncertainty keeps the hope and ambition alive.”
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