Arsenal will be without Bukayo Saka when they host Everton at the Emirates on Saturday, and the extent of his injury is still unclear.

Mikel Arteta revealed in his press conference that Saka is having another MRI scan because fluid in the area made the injury difficult to assess, and he admitted the early signs are not good. With Christos Tzolis also out, Arsenal are short of options out wide, and their teenage sensation could be in line to benefit.

Mikel Arteta confirms Max Dowman will get more minutes

Everton are the perfect opponents for Max Dowman to make his mark. Of course, when the sides met at the Emirates in March, the 16-year-old came off the bench, helped set up Viktor Gyokeres’ late winner, then ran from his own half to score in stoppage time, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.

Arteta was asked whether Saturday might be the right time to hand him a chance, and he made it clear that Dowman will play a part.

“Well, it is something inevitable, is to go back to that memory and the feeling of the moment,” Arteta said. “And that’s with us, and that he is going to stay in that stadium for a long, long time, I think. And he’s training, and every time he’s got a moment to play, he’s showing that he’s a player that is going to impact the game. So for sure he’s going to have minutes.”

When it was put to him that a start for Dowman against Everton would be a fairytale, Arteta agreed. “It would be a great story, yeah, if we win the game especially. And, obviously, he’s going to be more important as well if Bukayo is out.”

Dowman has played just 14 minutes in the Premier League and Champions League this season, but he’s shown what he can do when given the chance. He scored twice in the Carabao Cup win over Ipswich last month, and with Saka sidelined, he now has the perfect opportunity to shine.

Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are expected to start on the flanks against Everton, but Dowman is now the first wide option off the bench. If he doesn’t get his chance on Saturday, he is surely a shoo-in to start against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.