Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has finally clarified why highly-rated youngster Ethan Nwaneri was unexpectedly left out of the matchday squad against Newcastle United, despite travelling with the team to St James’ Park.
The 18-year-old midfielder has been one of the club’s brightest academy graduates this season, delivering exciting cameos whenever called upon. He has earned four appearances in all competitions so far and has regularly been named on the bench even when not playing.
That’s why eyebrows were raised when Arsenal’s official squad list for the Newcastle clash dropped — Nwaneri was nowhere to be seen, even though reports earlier confirmed that he had made the trip with the first team.
Arteta Addresses the Confusion
When asked to explain the situation, Arteta didn’t shy away from the question. Speaking after the match — via HaytersTV — the Spanish coach revealed that the decision was not personal but a consequence of strict Premier League squad restrictions.
“Yeah, I talked to all the players and we had a meeting specifically about that and the scenarios that we were going to have throughout the season,” Arteta said.
“Some of them they’re going to start, some of them they’re going to finish the game, some of them they’re going to be on the bench and not be participating, and some of them, unfortunately, are going to be out of the squad because with the Premier League you have the limitation with the numbers.”
“Sometimes we have to travel with more players because things can happen. Somebody can get ill, or we have a doubt with somebody, whether the next morning they are going to be available to play, and unfortunately, we have to do that.”
In other words, Nwaneri was taken to Newcastle as a contingency option, but when Arsenal’s fitness doubts were cleared, he became the unfortunate sacrifice of the selection limit.
Max Dowman Over Nwaneri — Arteta’s Tactical Signal?
The biggest surprise wasn’t just Nwaneri’s exclusion — it was the fact that 15-year-old Max Dowman made the bench ahead of him.
At first glance, it appeared to be a brutal snub. But there’s a deeper tactical implication.
While both players are teenage prodigies, Dowman was selected for a specific positional role — as emergency cover for the right wing, with Noni Madueke unavailable.
Nwaneri, meanwhile, is now being viewed strictly as a central midfielder, which suddenly put him behind more senior options on the day.
With Eberechi Eze starting, and both Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino on the bench, there was simply no room for another central playmaker.
