Arsenal will appeal the red card shown to Max Dowman against Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup.

The 16-year-old was sent off late on during the Gunners’ shock fourth round defeat on penalties by the League Two side on Tuesday night.

Dowman kicked out after a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal and was shown a straight red card.

That means Dowman would be set to serve a three-match suspension, but Standard Sport understands that Arsenal have decided to appeal the decision.

The club must submit the necessary documents to the Football Association (FA) by 1pm GMT on Thursday afternoon.

Arsenal hope that a verdict will be reached before Arsenal’s trip to face Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday, but the timeframe for the decision-making process is for the FA to determine.

As it stands, Dowman will be unavailable for Arsenal’s next three matches against Liverpool, Hull and Newcastle.

That would rule him out of domestic action until Arsenal host Manchester City on November 29.

The suspension does not apply to European competitions and so Dowman would be available to feature for the Gunners against Slavia Prague on November 4 in the Champions League.

Arsenal are unhappy with the award of the red card and believe it was a disproportionate punishment for Dowman’s response to Neal’s tackle.

Despite that, Mikel Arteta made his frustration towards Dowman clear as the teenager walked down the tunnel, leaning towards him and aiming some angry words in his direction.

Asked after the match what he had told Dowman, Arteta said: “It’s something that we discussed before the game.”

If Arsenal’s appeal is unsuccessful, they will be short of options on the right wing for their upcoming fixtures.

Bukayo Saka faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a quad injury and Noni Madueke missed the match against Fleetwood with an ankle problem.

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