Arsenal have been handed yet another injury headache after Max Dowman withdrew from England’s Under-19s squad. His departure from the camp was quietly confirmed on Sunday morning, a day before the U19s were beaten by Belgium 1-0.
International Break Impact
The 16-year-old had previously appeared in all three of the side’s matches this international break, picking up one goal and one assist in victories over Ireland, Norway and the United States. He was dismissed in that match, though, after a reckless challenge.
It comes as a fresh blow for the Gunners, who have had dismal luck with injuries over the past few weeks. Ezri Konsa is the latest senior player to be added to the list after he dropped out of England’s first-team with a long-standing but minor issue, while Kai Havertz also left Germany’s camp early with a hamstring issue.
Return to Colney
The same fate befell Greece forward Christos Tzolis, and Declan Rice withdrew from England duty before joining up with the squad so as to manage his load. Fortunately, though, Dowman’s injury is reported by The Sun to be a contact problem and is not thought to be overly serious.
Dowman will now return to Colney for further assessment. It is hoped the injury will not stem his momentum too much after the youngster made a bright start to the new season, scoring a brace away at Ipswich in the Carabao Cup in September.
Upcoming Premier League Clash
Arsenal host Leeds this Saturday as the Premier League reconvenes, but it remains to be seen how many first-team players Mikel Arteta will have at his disposal for the tie. On top of his injured internationals, Arteta could also be without Ben White, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera.
