Mikel Arteta may fill Arsenal’s attacking holes with 15-year-old Max Dowman

Mikel Arteta has admitted that he is tempted to play the 15-year-old Max Dowman against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. “When you look at what he does in training you have to play him,” the Arsenal manager said.

Dowman made a pair of Premier League appearances in August, having been a sensation in pre‑season. His most recent first‑team involvement was as a substitute at Port Vale in the Carabao Cup on 24 September. As with the careful management of Ethan Nwaneri, who may also play his part at the Emirates Stadium against Brighton, Arsenal have mapped out Dowman’s development. He was an unused substitute last week in the Champions League defeat of Athletic Bilbao.

Arteta said: “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. He has a lot of exposure in training with us, too.

“A lot of new things are happening to him with the national team, playing with two different age groups, and with us, and then preparing games with another team. It is a lot. We have to manage that. He will play minutes with us for sure and when he has the chance to do that he needs to take it.”

Dowman signed scholarship terms with Arsenal last week, with a professional contract due to be finalised for his 17th birthday. He joined as a five‑year‑old and the hope is that he will stay for the long term. “That’s what we all want,” Arteta said. “I think what he wants as well. After that it is more for [the sporting director] Andrea [Berta] and the club. But the feeling that I have is that genuinely he loves it here. He is a huge Arsenal supporter and his family are really happy with the way things are developing around him as well. Hopefully for many years he will be with us.”

Dowman, having missed Arsenal under-21’s weekend loss to Chelsea, seems poised for involvement. Arteta said: “If we looked at his passport every day we would never play him, simple as that. So it is finding a balance, an understanding, especially the load, the things that are changing in his life, and making sure he can cope with that. So far, he has done that.”

There are vacancies in Arsenal’s attack, as Arteta said: “In the front line, that is where we have more difficulties. Gabby Jesus out, Kai [Havertz] out, [Gabriel] Martinelli and [Noni] Madueke out. We have to be more careful as we don’t have many options.”

Of Martinelli’s injury, Arteta said: “We are going to have to do a few more tests.”

William Saliba’s ankle injury is being assessed, and he will also miss out. Viktor Gyökeres, without a domestic goal since 13 September, has started every Arsenal game aside from Port Vale.