Mikel Arteta has revealed he is tempted to hand 15-year-old Max Dowman his first Arsenal start in Wednesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Brighton. The teenager has impressed in training and made two Premier League appearances in August, as well as a substitute outing in the competition at Port Vale in September. Dowman also featured as an unused substitute in last week's Champions League win over Athletic Bilbao.
Arteta said: 'When you look at what he does in training you have to play him. I am calm over it because what we have decided for him for the first few months is happening. When we have to give him games, whether it is in the Youth Cup or with the under-21s or with us, he has that.' The manager emphasised the need to manage Dowman's workload, noting the teenager has been playing for two national team age groups and training with the first team.
Dowman signed scholarship terms with Arsenal last week, with a professional contract due to be finalised on his 17th birthday. He joined the club as a five-year-old. Arteta expressed confidence in Dowman's long-term future at the club: 'I think what he wants as well. The feeling that I have is that genuinely he loves it here. He is a huge Arsenal supporter and his family are really happy.'
Arteta also confirmed several attacking injuries, with Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke all unavailable. William Saliba is also out with an ankle injury. 'In the front line, that is where we have more difficulties,' Arteta said. 'We have to be more careful as we don't have many options.' Viktor Gyökeres, who has not scored domestically since September, has started every Arsenal game aside from the Port Vale cup tie.
