“You have to play with him” – Mikel Arteta is ready to give Arsenal’s 15-year-old protégé Max Daumann more game time

He could also feature in tonight’s last-16 match against Brighton.

And ahead of the game, Arteta has given his thoughts on how to manage the teenager’s workload.

“I’m calm because the decisions we made for him in the first few months are real,” Arteta said, as reported by BBC Sport.

“When we have to give him a game, whether it’s the Youth Cup, whether it’s against the under-23s, whether it’s against us, he’s got it.

15-year-old Dauman endorsed as Premier League breakout star candidate for ‘playing like Messi’

Video credit: TNT Sports

“He’s also getting a lot of exposure in training with us. We really have to manage his load.”

Dauman made his debut for Arsenal as an under-18 player at just 13 years old. His rise has been meteoric and he is already being touted as a future England star.

And it is Dauman’s performances in training that have impressed Arteta, driving his selection.

“He’s 15 years old and still developing. There are a lot of things that we have to make sure we control in order for him to develop as much as he can,” Arteta continued.

“No doubt he will play minutes with us and when he gets that chance, he needs to take it.

“If we looked at his passport every day, we would never play with him – it’s as simple as that. But if you look at his behavior in training, you need to play with him. If you don’t, you’re blind or I’m blind.”

“So it’s about finding balance and understanding and allowing him to deal with it, especially with the load and things that are changing in his life. So far, that’s what he’s done.”

As for Dauman’s future, it is thought that he may pre-agree to a professional contract when he turns 17 at the end of next year.

“That’s what we all want and I think it’s what he wants too,” Arteta explained.

“But what I feel is that he really loves it here. He’s a big Arsenal supporter and his family are also really happy with the way things have developed around him. Hopefully he’ll be with us for many years.”

Arsenal have made a strong start to the season and remain top of the Premier League, four points behind second-placed Bournemouth.

Next up is the Carabao Cup, which will be held at the Emirates Stadium, where they will face Brighton, who are 13th in the table.

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