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According to a report by Football London on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Arsenal youngster Max Dowman suffered a brief injury scare before the club’s 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich after team-mate Ben White accidentally stepped on his foot during the pre-match warm-up.
The incident occurred at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night when the 16-year-old midfielder engaged in a playful exchange with White during preparations for the Champions League encounter.
Dowman attempted to dispossess the Arsenal defender as White shielded the ball ahead of a training drill. The teenager grabbed White’s arm while trying to pull him away, prompting the defender to step backwards and accidentally step on his team-mate’s foot.
The Hale End academy graduate briefly hopped around in discomfort before laughing off the incident. White also appeared relaxed, responding with a smile and a shrug.
Although Dowman moved cautiously for a short period afterwards, he was able to move normally when the warm-up continued, easing immediate concerns about a potentially serious injury.
Neither Dowman nor White featured in the match, as both players remained on the bench while Arsenal secured a draw against the German champions.
However, the result was overshadowed by concerns over Bukayo Saka, who was forced off within the opening 10 minutes with a suspected quad injury. Eberechi Eze came on to replace the England international.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that there were concerns about Saka’s condition.
"They are a bit concerned. A player who has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news, but we have to wait and see," Arteta said.
The Spaniard provided another update during his post-match press conference, confirming that the injury involved Saka’s quadriceps.
"It’s his quad. It was early in the game, and the level of intensity his game requires is something incredible," he said.
"The quality, strength and attention you need has to be at the highest level, and those things happen unfortunately. It doesn’t look good at all, but we have to wait and see."
Arsenal recovered to secure a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich, bringing their run of 14 consecutive victories in the Champions League league phase to an end.