Arsenal youngster ruled out for several weeks as Arteta provides update on Rice, Saliba and Trossard fitness | OneFootball

Arsenal youngster Max Dowman has been ruled out for several weeks with an ankle injury, Mikel Arteta has confirmed, while Declan Rice, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard are all set to miss the Champions League clash with Club Brugge.

15-year-old Dowman has made five first-team appearances this season but has been replaced in Arsenal’s Champions League squad by Gabriel Jesus after suffering the injury while playing for the Gunners’ youth team.

“First of all with Max, unfortunately he picked up an injury last weekend and he had to come off,” Arteta explained.

“He’s done some scans and he’s going to be out for weeks.

“Losing Max is obviously not ideal.

“But it’s part of the journey. At some point when you play at this level, when you play in the position that he plays, when you play in the manner that he plays, it was going to happen.

“He picked up one that’s not ideal, for weeks (out), but it could have been worse. Learn from it and use this time as well to continue to improve in his education, everything that is related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality as well to be with us, the understanding of the game.

“Sometimes when you are away from the game you say ‘ah I cannot really live without it’. How important it is. Use those moments as well to get a reflection of where you are and give you a better force to go forward.”

Rice, meanwhile, has been suffering with illness and has not travelled with the squad to Brugge.

“Declan was ill,” Arteta said. “He was quite sick after the game (against Aston Villa) already and he hasn’t travelled with us.

“He will have a couple of days to rest and get his body right but today, already, he was very keen to be able to play and unfortunately he’s not able to do that.”

On Saliba and Trossard’s absence, Arteta explained: “William is still not available.

“Leo picked up another knock in an area where he had the previous issue.

“I don’t expect that it’s going to be long but unfortunately he cannot be with us.”