Injury forces Arsenal's Max Dowman to miss England Under‑19 fixtures

Arsenal's 16‑year‑old attacking midfielder Max Dowman has withdrawn from the England Under‑19 squad after sustaining a contact injury. The club and national set‑up say the knock is not serious and expect a speedy recovery, meaning the youngster will miss the upcoming friendly tournament, including the match against Belgium.

Carabao Cup heroics

He earned the Young Lions call‑up after starring in Arsenal's Carabao Cup clash with Ipswich Town at Portman Road, where the 16‑year‑old struck twice in a 4‑2 away win. The brace marked his first senior goals.

Dowman then featured in England Under‑19 fixtures against the Republic of Ireland, Norway and the United States. He contributed a goal and an assist across those three games, cementing his role in the side. In the United States match, he received a straight red card for a reckless tackle midway through the second half, a rare disciplinary setback for the teenager.

A contact injury sustained during the international break led England staff to withdraw him 24 hours before the Belgium encounter, deeming the knock minor with no major concerns and reassuring Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta that he would not miss a significant period.

"He tried everything for the game in Croatia, got the green light and came through all the training sessions so was ready to play. Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad and that caused a light trauma and we decided not to let him play through this pain, so he left camp to get treatment for both his issues now. I think it is nothing major but not worth the risk taking."

Injury fallout and upcoming fixtures

Dowman was not the only Arsenal player sidelined during the break; Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis withdrew from Germany and Greece duties respectively with hamstring problems, while defender Ezri Konsa also felt discomfort. England manager Thomas Tuchel later described Konsa's issue as ‘nothing major’ and added, "Ezri felt discomfort when he came into camp, played with it against Spain and it got a bit worse so he stayed in camp and tried everything for the match against Czechia but it came too soon," reinforcing the cautious approach to young players.

Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign at home to Leeds United this weekend, aiming to bounce back after a shock defeat at Brighton. The reigning English champions sit three points behind top‑of‑the‑table Manchester City ahead of Saturday’s contest at the Emirates.