Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman made his return to the field on Friday night after nearly three months sidelined with an ankle injury.
Dowman is the Premier League second youngest-ever player and Arsenal’s youngest-ever starter, having made the step up to first-team level during preseason last summer. He is also the youngest player in the history of the Champions League following his senior European debut on Nov. 4.
But an ankle problem suffered in early December left him sidelined until starting for Arsenal Under-21’s narrow Premier League 2 defeat to Ipswich Town.
Dowman, who got injured in a friendly match, hadn’t played competitively since scoring twice for the U19 Gunners in a UEFA Youth League win against Bayern Munich on Nov. 26. The 16-year-old completed the first half against Ipswich from the No. 10 role and was withdrawn at the interval.
What Role Can Arsenal Fans Expect Dowman to Play?
In the rest of the season, chances might be limited for Dowman as Arsenal pursue four trophies.
Mikel Arteta wouldn’t have put Dowman into the squad, nor given him game time, if he didn’t believe the teenager was good enough. Equally, however, throwing such a young player in at the deep end would be reckless, especially at such a pressurized moment in the season.
Even when fit, Dowman wasn’t playing regularly for the senior team, often going unused on the bench in the Premier League. He was still gaining invaluable experience all the time and was put into certain suited to his ongoing development.
Recent FA Cup ties against Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic, both opponents against whom Arsenal can afford to rotate usual starters, would have been good for Dowman to get minutes. That was an opportunity lost in the final stages of his injury recovery, but the Gunners have been drawn against another EFL opponent in the fifth round of the competition: Mansfield Town.
Any first-team minutes Dowman does get in the remainder of 2025–26 are likely to come from the wing, where there is more space to breathe.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Handed Timely Injury Boost to Strengthen Depth in Quadruple Pursuit.
