Max Dowman misses Arsenal training amid GCSEs as Saka, Saliba and Raya absences explained | OneFootball

Gunners preparing for Crystal Palace trip and Champions League final against PSG

Max Dowman was absent from Arsenal’s open training session on Thursday as the youngest ever Premier League title winner switches his focus between football and exam season.

16-year-old Dowman has had to juggle the Gunners’ title charge with his education all season.

Exam season is the reason that he was not present in training on Thursday, ahead of the away trip to Crystal Palace on the final day of the campaign.

Bukayo Saka and Max Dowman were both absent from Arsenal’s open training session at London Colney

Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and David Raya also weren’t involved, but they are not injured and were working on individual training programmes elsewhere.

Mikel Merino was spotted on the grass and is expected to return to group training on Friday following four months out with a foot fracture, though Jurrien Timber remains slightly behind the Spaniard in his recovery from a groin injury.

The attacking midfielder has made five Premier League appearances since his debut off the bench against Leeds in August. He grabbed his first senior goal against Everton in March to become the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer, but is yet to make his full league debut for the champions.

The youngster will hope to earn his second winners’ medal in a matter of weeks, with Dowman having made three appearances during Arsenal’s Champions League campaign.

The Chelmsford-born winger has been involved in every matchday squad of the knockout rounds, last getting on the pitch in both legs of Arsenal’s 1-0 aggregate victory over Sporting in the quarter-finals.