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 red card against Fleetwood Town.

The 16-year-old will miss Premier League matches against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle United, leaving manager Mikel Arteta with fewer attacking options as Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis continue to recover from injuries.

Arsenal endured a disappointing night at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday, crashing out of the Carabao Cup after losing 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw with League Two side Fleetwood Town.

Aaron Loupalo Bi opened the scoring for the hosts in the 21st minute before Viktor Gyokeres equalised after the break.

Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch made several important saves, denying Ben White and Martin Odegaard late in normal time before stopping Bruno Guimaraes’s penalty. Conor Haughey then scored the decisive spot kick to send Fleetwood into the quarter-finals for the first time.

Dowman’s dismissal added to Arsenal’s frustration. The teenager received a straight red card late in the match after kicking out at Harrison Neal following a heavy challenge. The incident sparked a confrontation between players from both sides, with referee Michael Salisbury sending the winger off for violent conduct.

The suspension will cover Arsenal’s trip to Liverpool on November 1, their home match against Hull City on November 7 and the away game against Newcastle United on November 21.

However, Dowman remains available for Arsenal’s Champions League meeting with Slavia Praha on November 4 because domestic suspensions do not apply to European competitions. His next possible Premier League appearance will be against Manchester City on November 29.

The youngster had impressed during much of the Fleetwood encounter, with Arteta previously urging his young players to take advantage of opportunities while Saka remains unavailable. The Arsenal manager 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 with a quadriceps injury, while Tzolis continues his recovery from a hamstring problem.

These setbacks leave Arteta facing a selection challenge as Arsenal prepare for a demanding run of fixtures in the Premier League and Europe.