Arsenal announce 23-man Champions League squad with Max Dowman, 15, included but £45m star left out

TEENAGER Max Dowman has been included in Arsenal’s 23-man Champions League squad, but one big name star has been snubbed.

Mikel Arteta chose his selection for the fast-approaching league phase of the competition on Wednesday after the fixture schedule was released last week.

Max Dowman has been included in Arsenal’s Champions League squadCredit: GettyThe Gunners boss has made the bold decision to include 15-year-old Dowman, who has impressed with his eye-catching cameos from the bench since making his Premier League debut earlier this season.

However, Arteta has left out striker Gabriel Jesus from the initial squad.

Jesus, who was a £45m signing from Man City in 2022, is yet to return to action after suffering an ACL injury in January, but was spotted back on grass during his rehab last month.

While Kai Havertz, who recently underwent a knee surgery of his own, has been named in the selection.

All eight of Arsenal’s summer signings have also been included in the squad.

Other notable absentees include Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

However, the pair can be included in every matchday squad through the ‘List B’ selection, which allows an unlimited number of U21 players to be added to the squad so long as they fall into a pre-defined category set of by Uefa.

Uefa defines ‘List B’ eligible players as someone who is “born on, or after, January 1 2004, and has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years since his 15th birthday.

Gabriel Jesus has been left out of the squad after suffering an ACL injury in JanuaryCredit: PA

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“Or for a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year.”

That definition provides the unusual quirk that means teen sensation Dowman is not actually eligible for ‘List B’, hence his inclusion in ‘List A’.

Should Dowman make his Champions League debut before his 16th birthday on December 31, he will make history as the first 15-year-old to ever play in the competition.

The Champions League’s youngest ever debutant is currently Youssoufa Moukoko, who played for Borussia Dortmund aged 16 years and 18 days in 2020.

Arsenal will begin their European journey later this month when they travel to face Athletic Bilbao on September 16 to open their account.

Other away trips during the campaign include Slavia Prague, Inter Milan and Club Brugge.

While the Gunners will host Olympiacos, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Kairat Almaty at the Emirates Stadium.