Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta backs youngster Max Dowman to reach next level

The 16-year-old is expected to feature from the start against Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup, offering him another chance to demonstrate his potential at senior level.

Dowman has played only nine minutes of Premier League football this season, although he scored twice in his sole senior start, helping Arsenal overcome Ipswich in the Carabao Cup. He also found the net against Everton last season, producing a solo effort that made him the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.

His international outings have offered further encouragement, with a goal for England Under-19s followed by a dismissal against the United States.

Arteta believes Dowman has the ability to progress but recognises that regular minutes, consistency and experience are essential to his development.

“He needs more minutes to do that. It's a lot to ask him to provide when he does not have a lot of minutes. It's very difficult, probably unfair,” said Arteta.

"But the moment that he starts to have more minutes and games I think he's going to be able to do that because historically that's what he's done.

"The next step is obviously to another dimension and he's more than capable of doing that."

He added: "He needs to understand where he is at and where we are going to take him.

"And that is clear. It will not be a straight line up. Hopefully yes, but normally it is not like this.

"He needs to prepare for that but to have the spikes up and when the spikes are down, you better be ready because you never know the moment you are needed and there is no time to say, 'no but I lack this'.

"That goes for every player but he is in a good place, he is training really well. When he had to play with us or the Under-21s he was the same and the same with the national team.

"We know the player we have and we need to give him the right chances and the right moments."