Mikel Arteta has Max Dowman conundrum to solve as Arsenal face Prague battle

Dowman, 16, returns to Prague a year after becoming the youngest Champions League player; Arteta must decide whether to start him despite a recent three-game domestic ban.

Max Dowman will return to the Fortuna Arena exactly one year after becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the Champions League at age 15 years and 308 days. The 16-year-old Arsenal prospect is available for the Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague on Wednesday, though his domestic suspension from a straight red card against Fleetwood means he cannot play in the Premier League until Arsenal host Manchester City on November 29.

Manager Mikel Arteta faces a selection dilemma. Dowman has been sent off twice in a month—once for Arsenal and once for England's Under-19s—and Arteta publicly rebuked him after the Fleetwood incident, making clear that no allowances would be made for his age. "This is the environment and this is the reality," Arteta said. "We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League at this level."

With Bukayo Saka sidelined by a quad injury and Noni Madueke needing rest after playing 90 minutes at Anfield, Dowman could provide valuable cover. Slavia Prague are known for a physical approach—they rank seventh for fouls committed in the Champions League this season and fouled Dowman twice in just 20 minutes when the teams last met. Arteta indicated at his pre-match press conference that he intends to move past the Fleetwood saga and give Dowman the chance to learn from his mistakes.