Arsenal's Dowman joins Havertz and Konsa on injury list after England U19 withdrawal

Max Dowman has been ruled out of England’s under-19 squad through injury, adding to Arsenal’s mounting fitness concerns ahead of the resumption of club football.

The teenage forward had featured in three matches for the Young Lions during the international break — against Ireland, Norway and the United States — but missed the side’s defeat to Belgium. According to reports, his absence was caused by a contact injury described as not serious in nature.

Dowman’s withdrawal came despite an eventful camp that included a red card against the United States. Because the tournament was played in a friendly format, the suspension did not carry over to the Belgium fixture, meaning the injury was the sole reason for his absence.

The news arrives at a delicate moment for the youngster, who has attracted significant attention at Arsenal this season. Manager Mikel Arteta recently addressed the possibility of sending Dowman out on loan in January, suggesting a decision would be made on a case-by-case basis.

“We will evaluate every six months where we are, what is the best thing for him to do and from there make the right decisions,” Arteta said. “It will depend on a lot of factors: what he needs, where the team is as well, the availability that we have in the squad, the amount of minutes that he’s playing, the quality he’s delivering when he’s got those minutes.”

Arteta drew on his own experience as a teenager when reflecting on the loan question, recalling his own move to Paris Saint-Germain at 17. “Depending on the atmosphere that you find there, how much the coach believes in you — you go there just to be part of a squad, not to play minutes,” he said. “But now he’s in a great place. He’s in a good place right now and let’s keep him here.”

Dowman’s injury is the latest in a string of setbacks Arsenal have suffered during the break. Kai Havertz sustained a problem while on duty with Germany, Christos Tzolis was hurt playing for Greece, and the FA confirmed that defender Ezri Konsa had withdrawn from the senior England squad and would not feature against the Czech Republic.