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Max Dowman Replaced in Champions League Squad by Forgotten Arsenal Man
Max Dowman has been forced to drop out of Arsenal’s Champions League squad for the rest of the calendar year through injury, but that has opened up a spot for the returning Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus has not earned a competitive minute of action for Arsenal since Jan. 12, 2025, when he was stretchered off at the Emirates after tearing his ACL in an FA Cup third-round clash against Manchester United. The Brazilian forward is back in training with his teammates and even made the bench for Arsenal’s London derbies against Chelsea and Brentford recently.
Mikel Arteta left Jesus out of the travelling party which lost 2–1 to Aston Villa in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon to ensure that he could get more meaningful minutes in an U21s friendly against Manchester United on the same day.
Dowman—and former Arsenal favourite Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain—also featured against United’s kids, yet the youngster sustained an ankle injury, as reported by the club. While this is a blow for the teenage phenom, Jesus has benefited.
Taking advantage of a UEFA ruling brought in at the start of the season, Arsenal are entitled to make one amendment to their league phase squad before the knockout stage in the event of illness or injury. Just as Chelsea and Liverpool were allowed to add Facundo Buonanotte and Federico Chiesa respectively, Arsenal included Jesus this week.
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The 28-year-old forward is immediately eligible to face Club Brugge on Wednesday night, though whether Arteta will risk him just yet remains to be seen. The Gunners have been plagued by fitness issues for the past 18 months. Since the start of last season, the club’s tally of 93 different injuries can only be topped by Brighton & Hove Albion among all Premier League teams, per Sky Sports News.
Nevertheless, Jesus has to return at some point. Arsenal’s Champions League future is all but secure after racking up five wins from five to start the league phase, yet Club Brugge are not to be underestimated—just ask Barcelona. Saturday night’s visit from a Wolverhampton Wanderers side with a pitiful two Premier League points to their name may be a more gentle setting for Jesus’s return.
Dowman Faces ‘Weeks’ Out Injured
Arteta revealed that Dowman would be out for “weeks” with his ankle issue, although played down concerns over any serious problem. “It’s part of the journey,” the Arsenal manager shrugged.
“I mean, at some point when you play at this level, when you play in the position that he plays, the manner that he plays, it was going to happen and it happened. One, that, O.K., it’s not ideal, it will be weeks, it could have been worse. Learn from it and use this time now to continue improving in his education, in everything related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality, and his understanding of the game.”
It may be weeks before Dowman is back fit, but it will be two months before he can play in the Champions League again. UEFA enforce a 60-day delay before returning to the competition for any player dropped from a squad for medical reasons.
The Gunners will be able to re-register Dowman in January but he won’t be available for selection until Feb. 6, 2026, by which point they will have played all eight league phase fixtures. Barring a spectacular collapse, Arsenal will surely avoid the knockout playoff round and pass straight through to the last 16, the first legs of which get underway on March 10–11, 2026.
By then, Dowman could join a fully fit Jesus in Arsenal’s frontline.
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Grey Whitebloom is a writer, reporter and editor for Sports Illustrated FC. Born and raised in London, he is an avid follower of German, Italian and Spanish top flight football.