Arsenal drop major team news hint ahead of Man City clash as Max Dowman plan emerges

Max Dowman will seemingly not feature in Arsenal's clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

At just 15, the attacking midfielder has emerged as one of the Gunners' most valuable youth prospects, impressing from the bench this season in clashes against Liverpool and Leeds United.

And while many Gunners fans will be eager to see how the wonderkid progresses this season as part and parcel of Mikel Arteta's first-team plans, it appears as though he will not have the opportunity to make his mark against City this weekend.

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That's because Dowman has been named as starting in the Arsenal U21 clash at the Mangata Pay UK Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as the reserves side take on Wolves. An announcement on social media from the academy read: "Clarke & Sweet at the back. Dowman in the middle. Harriman-Annous up front... Let's make it back-to-back wins, Gunners."

While Dowman could still feature in Arsenal's clash with the Blues on Sunday, it is more likely that the star will instead recover and be limited to minutes from the bench if he does make a cameo.

And eagle-eyed Gunners fans have speculated whether Dowman's return to the U21 squad means that Bukayo Saka could finally be fit to return to the first-team.

The forward hasn't featured for his side since picking up a hamstring injury during Arsenal's 5-0 rout of Leeds, a game in which he scored his first goal of the season.

But Arteta suggested that both Saka and Ben White - who is yet to feature since Arsenal's clash vs Manchester United on the Premier League's opening weekend - could return to the fray on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Spaniard said: "If there is a chance, it will be after tomorrow's session as they haven't done anything yet, so we'll have more information tomorrow."