According to a report by the London Evening Standard on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Arsenal have suffered another setback after teenage winger Max Dowman received a three-match domestic suspension following his dismissal against Fleetwood Town.

The 16-year-old will miss Arsenal’s Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle United, adding to Mikel Arteta’s selection concerns as Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis continue their recovery from injuries.

Arsenal’s Carabao Cup campaign ended unexpectedly on Tuesday after they were knocked out by League Two side Fleetwood Town. The match finished 1-1 after normal time before the hosts secured a 5-3 victory in the penalty shootout.

Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead in the 21st minute, but Viktor Gyokeres equalised after the break. Goalkeeper Jay Lynch played a crucial role in the contest, making important saves to deny Ben White and Martin Odegaard towards the end of normal time.

Lynch also saved Bruno Guimaraes’ penalty during the shootout before Conor Haughey converted the decisive kick to send Fleetwood into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

However, Dowman’s red card became another major talking point following the match. The Arsenal youngster was sent off late in the contest after kicking out at Harrison Neal following a heavy challenge. The incident triggered a confrontation between players from both teams, prompting referee Michael Salisbury to dismiss him for violent conduct.

As a result, Dowman will be unavailable for Arsenal’s trip to Liverpool on November 1, their home fixture against Hull City on November 7 and the away meeting with Newcastle United on November 21.

The suspension applies only to domestic competitions, meaning the teenager remains eligible to play when Arsenal face Slavia Praha in the Champions League on November 4. He is also expected to return for the Premier League clash against Manchester City on November 29.

Dowman had shown promising qualities during the Fleetwood encounter, with Arteta previously encouraging his younger players to take advantage of their opportunities while senior attackers remain unavailable. The Arsenal manager also admitted that the red-card incident was difficult to assess from the available camera angles.

Meanwhile, Saka is reportedly expected to spend six to eight weeks on the sidelines because of a quadriceps injury, while Tzolis continues his recovery from a hamstring problem.

With Dowman now suspended and two other attacking options unavailable, Arteta faces an additional challenge in managing his squad during a demanding period of the season.