Arsenal handed 'long-term' injury blow as star removed from Champions League squad

Max Dowman is set to miss around two months of action due to an ankle ligament damage

Arsenal have been handed yet another injury blow. According to reports, 15-year-old starlet Max Dowman is set for two months on the sidelines due to an ankle problem.

Despite his tender years, Dowman has been a regular fixture in the Gunners' first-team squad this season. He has already made appearances in the Premier League and the Champions League. He is the second youngest player to feature in the former and the youngest player to feature in the latter.

The winger has impressed with his dribbling skill, close control and confidence in his cameo appearances so far and could have been set for a more significant role across the busy festive period.

However, he now looks set for a stint out of the team. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Dowman will miss the next two months. He is said to have suffered ankle ligament damage in a friendly with Manchester United.

It means Arsenal have taken the winger out of their Champions League squad and replaced him with Gabriel Jesus. UEFA rules state that outfield players can be replaced in the case of "long-term" injuries, which are considered to account for an absence of 60 days.

"With Max, unfortunately, he picked up an injury last weekend and had to come off, so we did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks," manager Mikel Arteta said in his press conference ahead of Wednesday's clash with Club Brugge.

Arsenal are currently dealing with a number of injury issues. Cristhian Mosquera, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and William Saliba are all currently unavailable.

Declan Rice will also miss the clash with Brugge due to illness, while Leandro Trossard is also a doubt after suffering a recurrence of his calf problem against Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Gunners can feasibly afford to rotate their squad in Belgium, as they are in a strong position in the Champions League league phase. They have won all five of their games so far and sit top of the competition standings.