Fixture congestion and a pile up of injuries could give Arsenal starlet Max Dowman a boost in his chances of making the England squad ahead of the World Cup.
Max Dowman Given England Squad Boost
Arsenal’s Max Dowman could be given a boost in making the England squad for the World Cup.
At 15-years-old, the youngster has already broken countless records.
He became the Gunners’ youngest-ever starter last month and became the youngest-ever player to appear in the UEFA Champions League less than a week later.
Dowman also became the youngest goalscorer in the UEFA Youth League last term.
Could he now become England’s youngest-ever player?
That record is currently held by former Arsenal star Theo Walcott. Aged 17 years and 75 days, Walcott became the Three Lions’ youngest-ever player by appearing in a 3-1 win over Hungary.
Dowman undoubtedly has the potential to break this record, and there are a variety of factors that boost his chances of doing so in March or even during next summer’s World Cup.
One of those is the congested fixture schedule over the coming months.
Teams competing in Europe, such as Arsenal and Manchest City, whose players feature heavily in Thomas Tuchel’s squads, will play upwards of three games a week over the coming months.
Given the strain this causes to players’ bodies, as has been proven in recent seasons, injuries become likelier. Should, for example, Jude Bellingham and the currently injured Cole Palmer be unavailable due to this, it could open the door for Dowman to be called up into the senior setup.
Dowman Minutes Set To Increase
Not only does the congested fixture schedule increase the risk of injury to senior Three Lions stars, but it also boosts Dowman’s chances of gaining more first-team minutes with Arsenal.
This is as Mikel Arteta will look to rotate to avoid injuries within his own squad.
The youngster has amassed a total of 143 minutes for the senior side this season, featuring twice in the Premier League, twice in the Carabao Cup and once in the Champions League.
With the Gunners still in the Carabao Cup, as well as their FA Cup campaign getting underway in January, along with Champions League ties against Club Brugge and Kairat Almaty scheduled for the coming months, Dowman will likely be afforded plenty of opportunities by Arteta.
This gives him a platform to impress Tuchel, who will be watching on with a keen eye.
Dowman ‘Better Than Wilshere’
Another former Arsenal star that made his England debut at a young age was Jack Wilshere.
The now-Luton Town manager made his first-team bow for the Three Lions aged 18 years and 222 days, however he himself has admitted that Dowman is already ‘better’ than him.
Wilshere said: “I remember playing him for the 18s and he was 13 and we were playing Southampton, a good academy.
“We were 2-0 up and I remember saying to my assistant: ‘Let’s get Max on the pitch.’ I stood next to him and he was already taller than me!
“I remember saying to him: ‘Max, remember you are playing against players who are five years older than you which is fine but don’t get into duels, just pop it round and have one or two touches.’
“He came on and the first thing he did, he ran around three players, squared it and we scored. I looked at my assistant and I’d never seen this before.
“People say: ‘Is he better than you?’ He is better than me. But what I do see in similarities is his love of the game. I worked with some kids who wouldn’t even watch games but he loves it. He loves the Arsenal, he loves playing for Arsenal.”
England U21s ‘Monitoring’ Dowman
Currently an England U19 international, England U21s boss Lee Carsley has confirmed that he is monitoring Dowman. Should he make his debut for the U21 side before the end of February 2027, he will become the youngest-ever debutant for the side, breaking Jude Bellingham’s record.
In an interview, Carsley said: “He’s a player that we’re monitoring. Sometimes, that talent, we have to accelerate it so quickly because of the challenge they are getting at their clubs.
“It’s important that we keep in mind how young Max is, and we are fully aware of him. We get all of the feedback from the camps that he plays on, and there is definitely time.
“He’ll definitely get his chance within the U21s.”
FIFA Considering 30-Man World Cup Squads
Another factor that boosts the potential of Dowman making the England squad for the World Cup is the fact that FIFA are reportedly considering extending the size of each nation’s squad.
Football’s governing body is said to be considering an increase from 26 to 30.
Although unconfirmed, this scenario will allow Tuchel to bring an extra four players on the plane.
Even so, in his matchday squads, the German will likely opt for his tried and tested. Therefore, the four additional bodies are less likely to actually feature in the tournament.
With that in mind, could he opt to bring a few youngsters along to give them experience at a major tournament and bed them into the first team fold to build for the future?
If that is the case, Dowman is undoubtedly among the leading candidates to be called up.
He faces stiff competition for a spot in the squad though, as experienced heads such as Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish lead as favourites in the England World Cup squad odds market.
