Overview
- Mikel Arteta confirmed Gabriel Jesus was left out of the Aston Villa trip to play a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United at St George’s Park.
- Arteta said the plan was to give Jesus internal game exposure to regain match fitness after his ACL layoff earlier this year.
- The Daily Mirror reported that 15-year-old Max Dowman also played in the closed-door match, though his participation has not been independently confirmed.
- Dowman, who became the second-youngest player in Arsenal and Premier League history on his debut at 15 years and 235 days, has not returned to league action since brief early-season cameos.
- An Arsenal-focused outlet reported a 3-0 Under-21 win over Manchester United with minutes for Jesus, reflecting the club’s broader use of controlled fixtures to manage player development.